EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Senior outfielder Alicia Webb (Elberfeld, Indiana) extended her career-high hitting streak to 21 games, but University of Southern Indiana Softball suffered a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference losses to No. 9 University of Indianapolis Friday afternoon at the USI Softball Field.
 
The Screaming Eagles (5-12, 3-7 GLVC) lost the opener, 7-0, before falling, 2-1, in the nightcap.
 
Game 1: UIndy 7, USI 0
Despite getting four 1-2-3 innings and five scoreless frames out of sophomore pitcher Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana), a two-run third inning and a five-run seventh proved to be the difference in a 7-0 loss in the opener.
 
USI had scoring opportunities in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings, but four two-out strikeouts helped the Greyhounds hold the Eagles off the scoreboard. In total, USI stranded seven runners on base.
 
Indianapolis (19-2, 12-0 GLVC), meanwhile, had back-to-back infield singles to lead-off the top of the third inning. The Greyhounds followed with two more singles as they scored a pair of runs in the frame to take a 2-0 advantage.
 
The Greyhounds had four hits and took advantage of a pair of walks to add five runs to their lead in the top of the seventh.
 
Goodin (2-5), who was 2-of-3 at the plate with a double, took the loss for the Eagles after giving up seven runs off eight hits in 7.0 innings of work. She had five hitless innings with all of UIndy's hits coming in the third and seventh frames.
 
Game 2: UIndy 2, USI 1
Indianapolis scored two unanswered runs to defeat the Eagles, 2-1, in the nightcap despite a strong pitching performance from junior Katie Back (Indianapolis, Indiana). Back (3-5), who was charged with the loss, gave up just two runs off seven hits in seven innings of work.
 
USI took its first lead of the day in the bottom of the third inning when Webb hit an RBI-single through the right side of the infield to drive in junior third baseman Mary Bean (Schaumburg, Illinois), who was hit by a pitch earlier in the frame.
 
The Greyhounds, however, responded in the top half of the fourth inning when senior second baseman Haylie Foster, younger sister to former USI Softball player Sadie Foster '17, hit a solo shot over the leftfield fence.
 
UIndy took advantage of a pair of leadoff walks in the sixth inning when senior outfielder Sydnie Foster, twin sister to Haylie, hit a two-out, RBI-single into leftfield.
 
USI, which left five runners on base in game two, had a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fourth inning, but could not push the run across the plate. The Eagles last 10 batters were all retired in order as UIndy picked up its 12th straight win.
 
Up next
USI visits McKendree University Saturday for a noon doubleheader in Lebanon, Illinois. The Bearcats (10-6, 9-3 GLVC) were idle Friday, but have won seven straight games.
 
Notes
UIndy Head Coach Melissa Frost through out the ceremonial first pitch to USI junior catcher Courtney Schoolcraft (Crest Hill, Illinois) as part of USI's Awareness Day…Frost is a breast cancer survivor, while Schoolcraft has been undergoing chemotherapy for clear cell sarcoma…Webb's hitting streak, which dates back to the final four games of the 2020 season, is now just six shy of Amber Huse's program-record 27-game hitting streak (1994)…USI hitters struck out a combined 19 times on Friday.