EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Freshman hurler
Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) set a new single-season record for wins Friday as No. 9 University of Southern Indiana Softball defeated No. 22 Saginaw Valley State University, 6-4, to reach the championship game of the NCAA II Midwest Region #2 Tournament.
Leonhardt (26-2) earned her program-best 26th win of the year, breaking a tie between herself and USI Hall of Famer Amy Stetler. She struck out seven batters and issued just one walk, giving up four unearned runs off six hits in seven innings of work.
USI (43-12) wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as an RBI-single by senior catcher
Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana) and a fielding error plated a pair of runs to put the Screaming Eagles in front, 2-0, in the bottom of the first inning.
Saginaw Valley State (37-15) capitalized on a fielding error in the top of the third inning to score its first run of the contest, while a three-run home run off the bat of sophomore shortstop Aubree Mouthaan moments later put the Cardinals up, 4-2.
The Eagles, however, roared back in the bottom of the third inning as Hodges hit a two-run blast over the leftfield fence to tie the score at 4-4; while a two-run single by Leonhardt four batters later put the Eagles back in front.
Saginaw Valley State threatened with runners at the corners and one out in the top of the seventh inning, but Leonhardt struck out a batter and induced a pop-up to get out of the jam and get the Eagles to within a win of their first-ever appearance in the NCAA II Midwest Super-Regional.
USI will face Saginaw Valley State, once again, Saturday at noon and will have two chances Saturday to advance to the NCAA II Midwest Super-Regional, which is May 18-19 at the highest remaining seed. The Cardinals defeated Grand Valley State University, 8-0, in five innings in the second elimination game Friday evening.
Grand Valley State (33-18) eliminated the University of Indianapolis (33-21), 1-0, in earlier in the day.
