EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team gets it second shot at taking down top-ranked University of Indianapolis when the two teams square off for a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader Saturday at 11 a.m. (CDT) in Indianapolis.
USI (19-12, 9-9 GLVC) is facing the Greyhounds for the third and fourth times in less than a week after the Screaming Eagles suffered setbacks of 5-0 and 5-1 to UIndy this past Sunday at the USI Softball Field.
After being held to just one hit in the 5-0 game-one setback, the Eagles had the Greyhounds, who have won 27-straight games, on the ropes in game two. Junior
Kelsey Jankowski hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to give USI a 1-0 advantage, but UIndy scored once in the seventh to tie the contest and four times in the ninth to win.
Freshman
Sarah Owens pitched well in a no-decision as she scattered seven hits and just one run throughout 6.1 innings of work.
Jankowski led the Eagles last week at the plate, going 6-of-15 with three home runs and seven RBIs in six contests. She is second on the team with four home runs and 22 runs batted in.
Sophomore
Brooke Harmening saw a majority of the work inside the pitcher's circle as the Eagles went 3-3 a week ago. Harmening was the pitcher of record in all six games and enters this week's action as the team-leader in ERA (1.49), wins (15-6), strikeouts (100), and opponent batting average (.183). She also leads USI in batting average (.350), doubles (8), home runs (7), and RBIs (30).
Senior Jennifer DeMotte, the GLVC Pitcher of the Week, continues to lead UIndy (34-2, 16-0 GLVC) with a 16-0 record and a 0.72 ERA. Sophomore Casey Williamson, the GLVC Player of the Week, is hitting .482 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs.
USI also visits Saint Joseph's College for a GLVC doubleheader Sunday at noon in Rensselaer, Indiana. USI split a conference twinbill with the defending Midwest Region champions last Saturday at the USI Softball Field—the Eagles won game one, 3-1, before falling in the second outing, 10-2.
Saint Joseph's (18-11, 6-11 GLVC), which visits Tiffin University Thursday before hosting Kentucky Wesleyan College Saturday, is led by junior Kylie Weeks and freshman Kalene Davis. Weeks is hitting .451 with 12 RBIs, while Davis is hitting .290 with five home runs and 25 RBIs.
Sophomore Jessica Cates is 4-2 with a 1.34 ERA and a .165 opponent batting average, while senior Sarah Franklin is 7-6 with a 1.64 ERA.
The Eagles are currently fourth in the GLVC East Division and are a half-game up on the top wild card spot for the GLVC Tournament, which is May 3-5 in East Peoria, Illinois.
Live stats for Saturday's doubleheader against UIndy can be accessed at gousieagles.com, while score updates from Sunday's doubleheader against Saint Joseph's will be provided via Twitter.
