EVANSVILLE, Ind.--- Sixth-ranked University of Missouri-St. Louis handed the University of Southern Indiana softball team its fourth-straight doubleheader loss, routing the Screaming Eagles 8-1 and 3-0 Saturday afternoon at the USI Softball Field.
USI, once third in the Great Lakes Valley Conference's East Division, fell to sixth after ending the weekend at 11-19, 19-20 overall. The Tritons remain at the top of the West Division, improving to 36-5 overall, 21-3 in conference.
Missouri-St. Louis tallied a run early in the first before extending its lead to 5-0 after a two-out grand slam in the top of the second. A two-run homer, in the fourth, pushed UMSL ahead, 7-0.
The Eagles switched it up during game one, starting sophomore
Sarah Owens (Indianapolis, Indiana) in the circle. After giving up seven runs in 3.1 innings of work, USI brought in fellow classmate
Devon Rutherford (Newburgh, Indiana) to close the game. Owens was tabbed with the loss, falling to 7-11 on the season.
Junior
Brooke Harmening (Whiteland, Indiana) tallied USI only RBI of game one, in the bottom of the fifth, with a two-out double to right center that went deep enough to send senior
Teri Newmaster (Elberfeld, Indiana) home from first.
Missouri-St. Louis would go on to score its final run in their portion of the seventh, eventually earning the 8-1 win.
In the circle, USI battled with the ranked Tritons in game two, as starting pitcher, Harmening, gave up 11 hits, but allowed just three runners to cross the plate. She recorded her ninth loss of the season, with five strikeouts and three walks.
The Eagles registered five hits at 24 at-bats, as Missouri-St.Louis walked away with a game two 3-0 win.
At the conclusion of game two, USI honored its four seniors:
Kyla Gogel (Fulda, Indiana),
Kelsey Jankowski (Cedar Lake, Indiana), Newmaster, and
Alison Nord (, Indiana), all of whom have been with the Eagles for the past four seasons.
USI will take a break from conference action Wednesday when it hosts Midwest Region opponent Oakland City for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. The Eagles then take to the road to conclude their GLVC run, taking on Saint Joseph's College Saturday at noon in Rensselaer, Indiana, before heading to Indianapolis to battle with No. 21 University of Indianapolis.
