Southern Indiana (2-1): 6
Franklin Pierce (1-2): 3
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West Alabama (4-1): 7
Southern Indiana (2-2): 4
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DECATUR, Ala.—Sophomore pitcher
Brooke Harmening hit a grand slam in the top of the third inning to help lift the University of Southern Indiana softball team to a 6-3 victory over Franklin Pierce University in its third game of the Charger Chillout Saturday.
The Screaming Eagles (2-2) sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five times in the inning as it erased a 2-0 deficit. Sophomore outfielder
Kyla Gogel tacked on an RBI-single in the frame as USI built a 5-2 advantage.
Franklin Pierce (1-2) capitalized on an error in the fifth inning to plate a run and cut into the deficit; then loaded the bases to begin the sixth inning.
Freshman pitcher
Sarah Owens, who earned the victory, sent down three straight batters, fanning two along the way, to get out of the jam and maintain USI's 5-3 advantage.
USI added an insurance run on a bunt single by freshman shortstop
Janna Green in the seventh inning as it went onto the victory.
Owens (1-1) allowed three runs, just one earned, off 10 hits in seven innings of work. She recorded seven strike outs en route to her first career collegiate win.
The Eagles finished the day with a 7-4 setback to the University of West Alabama. USI gave up an unearned tally in the bottom of the first inning and trailed 1-0 until a pop-up by freshman outfielder
Kaitlyn England dropped between three West Alabama infielders to push a run across and knot the game up at 1-1.
West Alabama (4-1), however, scored six runs off five hits in the bottom of the sixth inning to build a commanding 7-1 advantage. All five of the hits were of the extra-base variety, including a triple and an inside-the-park home run.
The Eagles tried to put together a two-out rally in the top of the seventh inning. England had a run-scoring single and sophomore catcher/infielder
MacKenzi Dorsam followed with a two-run hit to bring USI to within 7-4, but West Alabama got a pop-up in the next at-bat to get out of the inning and preserve the win.
Harmening (1-1) was charged with the loss after giving up seven runs, six earned, off seven hits in 5.2 innings of work. She racked up a season-high nine strikeouts in the loss.
USI concludes the Charger Chillout Sunday with Delta State University at 1 p.m. and the University of West Georgia at 3 p.m.
