ST. LOUIS, Mo.---Despite dropping the opening game against third-ranked University of Missouri-St. Louis, senior pitcher
Brooke Harmening (Whiteland, Indiana) returned to the circle to register the win in game two, breaking USI's record for most career wins with 72. The 15
th-ranked Screaming Eagles (37-7, 22-6 GLVC)) fell 2-0 before coming back in dominating fashion to take game two, 8-2.
UMSL's Hannah Perryman delivered a no-hitter, with six strikeouts, in the day's opener, while Harmening was tabbed with the loss with five hits allowed, five batters walked, and one strikeout.
In the nightcap, Harmening (21-2) allowed five hits and three walks while also serving a game-high nine strikeouts.
The Eagles saw a lot more offensive action in game two, starting with a 2-0 lead in the top of the second from RBI-singles by redshirt-freshman
Shelby Tate (Matoon, Illinois) and senior
MacKenzi Dorsam (Dubois, Indiana).
Missouri-St. Louis cut the lead to 2-1 in the following half inning with a homer to left center field, but the Eagles would tack on another three for a 5-1 advantage heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.
USI's scoring run continued into the fifth inning as sophomore
Lexi Reese (Lebanon, Indiana) registered a lead-off homer, her second of the weekend, to put the Eagles up 6-1.
The Tritons tacked on a run in the next inning, but sophomore
Haley Hodges registered a double to left center, in USI's portion of the sixth, that would score fellow classmate
Grace Clark (Indianapolis, Indiana) as well as junior
Toni Braun (Evanston, Indiana) for an 8-2 edge and eventual game two win.
USI continues into the post-season as the No. 3 seed in this year's Great Lakes Valley Conference Softball Championship Tournament. The Eagles are slated to face Lewis University in the first round on Friday, May 1.
