EVANSVILLE, Ind.--- The 15
th-ranked University of Southern Indiana softball team currently rides a 12-game winning streak following its doubleheader sweep of Midwest Region opponent Oakland City University Wednesday evening at the USI Softball Field.
Despite OCU's 2-1 lead in the opening game, the Screaming Eagles rallied back, scoring three runs in the fifth to take the Lady Oaks, 4-2, before a forcing the game-ending, eight-run rule in their 9-1 nightcap win.
USI, which moved up one spot to No. 4 in the second installment of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Poll, improves to 35-5 overall, and returns to Great Lakes Valley Conference play Sunday and Monday when it visits Maryville University and 3
rd-ranked University of Missouri-St. Louis, respectively.
Senior
MacKenzi Dorsam (Dubois, Indiana) lit the scoreboard up with a leadoff homerun in USI's portion of the first, however, the Eagles would soon find themselves knotted at 1-1 with the visiting Oaks in the top of the third, with no outs and two runners in scoring position.
Pitcher
Conci Nall (Newburgh, Indiana), who entered the game for senior
Brooke Harmening (Whiteland, Indiana) in the top of the second, allowed three hits off in the top of third, which prompted the Eagles to send
McKenzi Jordan (Crawfordsville, Indiana) in to the circle to complete the inning.
Down 2-1, USI received its game-winning runs in the bottom of the fifth off a two-run double by sophomore
Grace Clark (Indianapolis, Indiana) followed by an RBI-single from Harmening.
Jordan received the win improving to 4-1 on the season while Harmening earned her fourth save after re-entering the circle at the top of the sixth inning.
The Eagles continued their momentum into the nightcap, capitalizing on many OCU errors, scoring six runs, five of which were unearned, in just their first inning at the plate.
Oakland City prevented a shutout, with a run in the top of the third, but the Eagles would add two more to the board for an 8-1 lead.
Dorsam's walk-off single in the bottom of the fifth sealed the deal for USI as it completed the sweep of Oakland City with a 9-1 win.
Junior
Devon Rutherford (Newburgh, Indiana) registered her first win of the season, tallying two strikeouts along with two walks, while allowing six hits and one earned run.
