SOMERS, Wis. – University of Southern Indiana Softball was unable to take advantage of two early leads, dropping a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference games to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside at the Case Softball Complex Saturday afternoon.
The Screaming Eagles (14-11, 3-3 GLVC) held leads in both games before the Rangers (14-12, 5-3 GLVC) rallied for a pair of 6-5 wins.
USI returns home tomorrow when it hosts No. 12 University of Indianapolis in a doubleheader that was moved to the USI Softball Field after inclement weather in Indianapolis. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Game 1: UW-Parkside 6, USI 5
UW-Parkside scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a three run Eagles' lead to rally for a 6-5 win in game one.
USI took a 2-0 lead in the first inning off RBI singles by junior outfielder
Caitlyn Bradley (Forest, Indiana) and senior third baseman
Mena Fulton (Bloomington, Indiana). The Eagles would add to that lead with a solo home run by sophomore outfielder
Allison Schubert (Nicholasville, Kentucky) in the fourth.
After UWP answered with a pair of runs in the fifth, Schubert hit her second home run of the game in the sixth. The Eagles added another run in the top of the seventh on a home run by junior second baseman
Claire Johnson (Pittsboro, Indiana).
Sophomore pitcher
Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) recorded 11 strikeouts, but was charged with the loss. Schubert finished with three hits, while Johnson and junior catcher
Lindsey Barr (Whitesville, Kentucky) each finished with two.
Game 2: UW-Parkside 6, USI 5
In game two, the Rangers rallied once again, scoring the game-winning run in the sixth inning on an RBI groundout.
The Eagles scored four times in the first inning, beginning with a two-run double by Schubert. Fulton followed with an RBI single scoring Bradley, who would come around to score on an RBI groundout by freshman first baseman
Haley Shouse (Borden, Indiana).
UWP tallied a single run in the first, before scoring twice in the third and fourth to take a 5-4 lead.
But Schubert's big day at the plate continued, as she hit her third home run of the day to tie the game at 5-5 in the fifth.
Parkside then pushed across the final run in the sixth against Bradley, who took the loss in two innings of relief.
