EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Senior shortstop
Lexi Reese (Lebanon, Indiana) and senior catcher
Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana) each hit home runs and freshman pitcher
Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) tied the program's single-season record with her 25th win as the No. 9 University of Southern Indiana Softball team defeated Grand Valley State University, 5-1, in the opening round of the NCAA II Midwest Region #2 Tournament Thursday evening at the USI Softball Field.
Reese broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning when she hit a 2-run shot over the leftfield fence; while Hodges hit a towering, 3-run blast over the leftfield fence in the fifth frame to stake USI to a commanding 5-1 lead.
Grand Valley State (32-17), the No. 7 seed in the NCAA II Midwest Region Tournament, cut into the Screaming Eagles' 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning as it capitalized on a USI error to score its only run of the contest.
USI (42-12) got a stellar performance in the pitcher's circle from Leonhardt, who improved to 25-2 after giving up just one unearned run off three hits in seven innings of work. Leonhardt struck out four batters and allowed three walks as she moved into a tie with USI Hall of Famer Amy Stetler, who had 25 wins in 1998.
The Eagles, the No. 2 seed in the NCAA II Midwest Region Tournament, return to action Friday at noon when they take on the No. 3 seed, Saginaw Valley State University, in the second round at the USI Softball Field.
Saginaw Valley State (36-14), who defeated USI 4-3 at the Midwest Region Crossover in February, advanced to the second round in the winner's bracket with a walk-off, 3-2, win over the No. 6 seeded University of Indianapolis Greyhounds Thursday. UIndy (33-20) will play Grand Valley State in the elimination bracket Friday at 2:30 p.m.; while the winner of the UIndy-GVSU contest will play the loser between USI and SVSU Friday at 5 p.m.
On the other side of the NCAA II Midwest Region Tournament, being played in St. Louis, the No. 4 seed, Wayne State University, earned a 1-0 win over the No. 5 seed, Truman State University, in the opening round; while the Midwest Region #1 host and top-seed University of Missouri-St. Louis Tritons defeated the No. 8 seed, Kentucky Wesleyan College, 11-1, in five innings.
