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Game 1                                                       Game 2
Southern Indiana (14-11, 6-10 GLVC): 3         Southern Indiana: 1
Illinois Springfield (15-16, 6-10 GLVC): 1        Illinois Springfield: 4
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EVANSVILLE, Ind.--- The University of Southern Indiana softball team was forced to settle for a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader split with East Division foe University of Illinois Springfield Monday afternoon at the USI Softball Field. The Screaming Eagles won game one, 3-1, but fell in the second game, 4-1.
 
It was scoreless game until the bottom of the fifth, when junior MacKenzi Dorsam (Dubois, Indiana) sent the ball flying to right center for her third homerun of the season and a 1-0 lead for USI (14-11, 6-10 GLVC).
 
The Eagles put up two more runs in the following inning as freshman Grace Clark (Indianapolis, Indiana) and senior Kyla Gogel (Fulda, Indiana) racked up an RBI apiece for a 3-0 advantage.
 
With one out and UIS's Shannon Ballegeer on first in the top of the seventh, USI tried for the shutout as Illinois Springfield's next batter popped up to third base for out number two. However, a throwing error by the Eagles allowed the runner on first to advance to the next bag. With a full count and two outs on the board, Illinois Springfield's Tess Lamb hit a single far enough to the outfield to send Ballegeer home for the visiting team's first run.
 
Junior pitcher Brooke Harmening (Whiteland, Indiana) ended the game with a quick strikeout, earning the 3-1 win, and improving to 9-4 on the season.
 
In the nightcap, the Prairie Stars (15-16, 6-10 GLVC) jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a homerun to left field.
 
The Eagles answered back in their portion of the third, as Dorsam registered USI's only RBI of the game, with a sacrifice fly to left field that sent freshman Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana) home for a 1-1 tie.
 
Illinois Springfield tallied a run in the fifth and two in the sixth for a 4-1 lead and eventual win. Following UIS's runs in the sixth, Harmening was brought in to relive sophomore Sarah Owens (Indianapolis, Indiana). 
 
Owens (5-7), who matched her season-high strikeout count of eight, was charged with the loss in game two, after giving up the four runs in 5.2 innings of work.
 
USI returns to action Wednesday afternoon when it hosts Bellarmine University in a GLVC doubleheader at the USI Softball Field. Bellarmine, the East Division's leader, settled for a split Monday afternoon against McKendree University, falling in game one, 2-1, before picking up a 2-1 win in game two.