ROMEOVILLE, Ill.—Freshman catcher Courtney Schoolcraft (Crest Hill, Illinois) hit a grand slam in the top of the ninth inning of game one as No. 22 University of Southern Indiana Softball earned a 6-3, nine-inning win over Lewis University in the opening game of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader Friday afternoon.

The Screaming Eagles (32-16, 18-6 GLVC), however, suffered a 3-1 setback in game two as Lewis forged the doubleheader split.

Game 1
USI got a one-out double from junior pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) and a two-out, RBI-single from senior outfielder/pitcher Caitlyn Bradley (Forest, Indiana) in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.

Lewis (20-28, 10-14 GLVC), however, put together a pair of hits in the fourth inning to score a run and even the score at 1-1.

The two teams traded runs in the sixth inning, with junior outfielder Allison Schubert (Nicholasville, Kentucky) giving the Eagles a brief 2-1 lead with a solo shot in the top of the frame.

Each team had scoring opportunities in the seventh inning and the Eagles had a runner in scoring position in the top of the eighth, but neither squad was able to push a run across the plate as the contest moved into the ninth inning.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Schoolcraft, who was down to her last strike, hit a shot over the leftfield fence to give the Eagles a 6-2 lead. The grand slam was the first of Schoolcraft's young career and USI's first grand slam of the year.

USI, which took advantage of an error earlier in the inning, surrendered a run in the bottom of the ninth, but held on for the game-one win.

Leonhardt (19-6) earned the win after giving up three runs, two earned, off eight hits in nine innings of work. She struck out eight batters as she tied Brooke Harmening for first all-time at USI with her 74th career win.

Game 2
The Flyers struck first in the second game, scoring a pair of runs on four hits in the bottom of the third inning.

USI answered with a run in the fourth inning as Bradley pushed the Eagles' only tally across the plate on a fielder's choice.

Lewis, however, added a run in the fifth inning to extend its lead to 3-1, while USI was held to just two base runners throughout the final two innings.

Senior pitcher Haylee Smith (Florence, Kentucky) took the loss and fell to 6-2 on the season after giving up two runs off five hits in two-and two-thirds innings of work. Bradley held the Flyers to one run off two hits in three-and-a-third innings of action.

Up next
The Eagles conclude the regular-season Sunday at noon when they travel to Indianapolis to take on No. 13 University of Indianapolis in a GLVC doubleheader. Sunday's doubleheader with the Greyhounds (39-11, 17-5 GLVC) will determine the top seed in next week's GLVC Tournament.