EVANSVILLE, Ind.----The University of Southern Indiana softball team continued its winning ways at USI Softball Field with a doubleheader sweep of McKendree University on Saturday. The Screaming Eagles stormed to a 12-5 win in the opening contest, before grabbing the sweep with a 5-1 victory in the second game.
 
USI rises to 23-9 overall and 11-1 in the GLVC, while McKendree falls to 11-19 overall and 5-7 in the conference.
 
USI utilized big innings in the first game to pull away from the Bearcats. The Eagles fell behind McKendree 2-0 after the top of the first inning, but scored nine in the bottom half to take a 9-2 lead.
 
In the first inning offensive explosion, sophomore Marleah Fossett got the scoring started with a double that scored freshman Caitlyn Bradley. The Eagles tallied their second run on an RBI double by junior Haley Hodges that scored Fossett. USI tacked on two more with junior Lexi Reese's two-run home run to left field.
 
The Eagles added another run in the first when sophomore Olivia Clark-Kittleson scored on a wild pitch. Senior Janna Green stepped up and delivered a three-run double to left field to increase the USI lead to 8-2. Fossett returned to bat for the second time in the inning and earned her second RBI on an RBI single that scored Green.
 
McKendree tried to mount a comeback in the third and fourth innings, adding a run in each frame before USI responded with a pair of runs on their own in the fourth inning on a two-run double to left field by sophomore Mena Fulton to take an 11-4 lead.
 
McKendree cut the Eagles' lead to 11-5 in the top of the fifth, but once again, USI responded with an RBI single by Mena Fulton to secure the 12-5 victory.
 
Leading USI was sophomore Marleah Fossett, who went three-for-four in the opening contest, driving in two runs and scoring one. Fellow sophomore Mena Fulton finished the game with a two-for-four performance, driving in three runs and scoring a run. Junior Lexi Reese continued her strong season with a two-for-three performance with two RBIs and scoring two runs.
 
Senior pitcher Sarah Owens earned the victory, pitching four innings, allowing eight hits and four runs to move to 9-2 on the season. Freshman Courtney Atkisson came on in relief, working three innings, allowing three hits and a run and earning her first collegiate save.

In the nightcap, freshman Haylee Smith earned the victory in the circle, pitching a complete game, allowing eight hits and one run, while striking out three.
 
USI once again struck quickly in game two, scoring four runs in the opening frame. Caitlyn Bradley scored the first run as Fossett reached on a scoring error. Haley Hodges smacked an RBI double to right center to bring home Fossett, while junior Grace Clark doubled in Hodges. Lindsey Barr drove in the fourth run of the inning on a sacrifice fly that scored Lexi Reese to cap off the Eagles big first inning.
 
USI tacked on another run in the fifth, when Mena Fulton hit an RBI double to left center that scored sophomore Shelby Tate.
 
McKendree attempted to mount a comeback in the sixth, but the Bearcats were only able to push across one run in the Eagles' 5-1 victory. 
In the Eagles' victory, USI was led by Clark, who went two-for-three with an RBI.
 
USI returns to action on Tuesday, when the Eagles travel to Louisville, Kentucky to face Bellarmine University in a GLVC doubleheader at noon and 2 p.m. The Eagles return to USI Softball Field next weekend for a set of four games starting with a doubleheader against the University of Indianapolis on Saturday for "Awareness Day" at noon and 2 p.m. before hosting Saint Joseph's College for a doubleheader on Sunday at noon and 2 p.m.