Game 1
Southern Indiana (18-9, 8-6 GLVC): 4
at Kentucky Wesleyan (8-18, 6-11 GLVC): 3
-Box Score: HTML | Sortable |
Game 2
Southern Indiana: 7
at Kentucky Wesleyan: 6
-Box Score: HTML | Sortable |
OWENSBORO, Ky.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team hit a combined four home runs as it swept a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader from host Kentucky Wesleyan College Tuesday afternoon at Foster Field.
Junior
Kelsey Jankowski went deep in her first two at bats in game one as the Screaming Eagles rallied from a 1-0 deficit to claim a 4-3 decision. Fellow classmate
Kyla Gogel capped off a seven-run third inning in game two with a three-run bomb as the Eagles held on for a 7-6 victory in the nightcap.
After spotting the Panthers (8-18, 6-11 GLVC) a tally in the bottom of the first frame in game one, the Eagles responded in the top of the second inning when sophomore
Brooke Harmening and Jankowski hit back-to-back home runs.
Freshman
Janna Green hit a run-scoring triple in the third inning to put the Eagles up, 3-1, while Jankowski's second home run of the contest staked the Eagles to a three-run cushion through four frames.
Kentucky Wesleyan picked up a pair of runs in the fifth to shrink the Eagles' advantage to a single score. The Panthers threatened with a lead-off single in the sixth inning, but three straight ground ball outs followed by a one-two-three seventh inning gave USI the one-run victory.
Harmening (14-3) earned the win in game one after giving up three runs, one earned, off six hits in 7.0 innings of work. She came on in relief in game two to earn her second win of the day and the 30th of her career as she gave up two runs off three hits in 3.2 innings of work.
USI (18-9, 8-6 GLVC) had five hits, three of which were bunt singles, and sent 10 batters to the plate in the third inning of game two as it built a 7-0 advantage.
Back-to-back bunt singles followed by an error in the frame loaded the bases for sophomore
MacKenzi Dorsam, who reached base safely for the 17th consecutive game when she was walked on five pitches to push across the game's first tally.
Harmening followed with a two-run single to put the Eagles up, 3-0, while Jankowski hit a sacrifice fly to score USI's fourth run of the inning. Gogel's three-run homer over the centerfield fence two batters later capped off the Eagles' offensive explosion.
The Panthers battled back in the bottom of the third inning as they took advantage of three USI errors plate three runs. Kentucky Wesleyan's Kyli Smithson hit a home run in the fourth inning, forcing USI to replace freshman
Sarah Owens with Harmening in the pitcher's circle.
Kentucky Wesleyan added a run in the fifth inning and another in the seventh frame to trim USI's advantage to one run. The Panthers eventually had the tying run at third base, but a groundout in the final at-bat preserved the Eagles' fifth straight victory.
USI returns to action Saturday at noon when it hosts defending NCAA II Midwest Region champion Saint Joseph's College in a conference doubleheader at the USI Softball Field. The Eagles also host No. 2 University of Indianapolis Sunday in their NFCA Strikeout Cancer games at the USI Softball Field.
