SPRINGFIELD, Ill.--- The University of Southern Indiana softball team went a perfect 4-0 in its third week of Great Lakes Valley Conference play following a 6-4, 5-0 doubleheader sweep of University of Illinois Springfield Sunday evening.
The Screaming Eagles improve to 10-2 in the GLVC, 23-3 overall, while the Prairie Stars fall to 20-9 overall, 7-5 in conference play.
USI tallied the first run of the day in the opening inning and would hold the lead until Illinois Springfield answered back in the bottom of the fourth with a run of their own and continued its scoring run, in the bottom of the fifth, with an RBI-single, followed by a two-run homer for a 4-1 lead.
The Eagles would not let the three-run difference get to them, though, using the rallied from behind to take the day's opener from Illinois Springfield, using a three-run bomb by sophomore
Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana) to tie the game up at 4-4.
In the Eagles' final inning, with two on and one out, junior
Toni Braun (Evanston, Indiana) delivered an RBI-single to push USI ahead of the Prairie Stars, 5-4, which was soon followed-up by a double to centerfield by sophomore
Grace Clark (Indianapolis, Indiana) sending freshman
Olivia Clark-Kittleson (Carbondale, Illinois) home for what would be the game's final run.
Brooke Harmening (Whiteland, Indiana) improved to 14-1 on the season, while the Prairie Stars used the arms of both Alexandria Smith, who tallied a game-high six strikeouts, and Taylor Bowlby, who took the loss of UIS falling to 13-3.
In game two, junior
Sarah Owens (Indianapolis, Indiana) delivered a game-high eight strikeouts and pitched a no-hitter until the sixth, allowing two hits off, improving to 6-1.
Clark lead the Eagles in the nightcap going 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two homeruns, while sophomore
Lexi Reese (Lebanon, Indiana) tacked on another two RBIs for the visiting team with a double to left center field.
The Eagles are on the road next week Friday and Saturday, taking on Saint Joseph's College followed by University of Indianapolis, before returning home Tuesday, April 7 for a doubleheader with Bellarmine University.
