CHARLESTON, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Softball won an extra-inning thriller, 8-5, against Eastern Illinois University late Friday afternoon, splitting a doubleheader after getting edged by a final score of 2-0 in the series opener.
 
Heading into the weekend series, USI was in fourth place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, while Eastern Illinois was atop the league table with an unblemished record in conference play.
 
The doubleheader started with a pitcher's duel in Friday's first game. USI sophomore pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) matched up against EIU junior pitcher Olivia Price. The two pitchers held the offenses to a combined five hits in game 1.
 
After two scoreless innings, Eastern Illinois scored one run in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI double. The Panthers tallied their second run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning on a solo home run.
 
Newman went six innings, allowing two runs off three hits with four strikeouts in the game 1 start. Her counterpart, Price, gave up only two hits with a pair of strikeouts in seven innings of work. She moved to 8-2 on the season with the win.
 
In game 2, Southern Indiana jumped ahead first in the top of the third inning. Following a double by sophomore outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana), freshman outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana) recorded an RBI single. Two batters later, and with runners on the corners, junior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) shot one to the track for a two-RBI triple. USI led 3-0 after the top of the third, but an Eastern Illinois three-run home run in the home half of the frame knotted the game, 3-3.
 
The Screaming Eagles retook the lead, 5-3, in the top of the fifth inning. After another single by Stapleton and a walk to senior Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana), sophomore Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) rocketed a double to the left-center gap to score both. The Panthers came back to tie the game at five with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth.
 
The game proceeded to extra innings, where both teams went scoreless in the eighth.
 
Entering the top of the ninth, Southern Indiana had the top of the order due up. Junior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) led off with a double before Stapleton walked. After a productive out to advance both runners, Fair delivered a clutch hit that scored both runners and gave USI a 7-5 advantage. Senior infielder Rachel Martinez (Chicago, Illinois) brought in Fair for an insurance run to put USI up by three heading into the bottom of the ninth.
 
In the EIU half of the ninth, Newman, who came into the game in relief in the middle of the fifth inning, sealed the win for the Screaming Eagles.
 
At the plate, USI had five players register multi-hit games in the win. Fair led the way with three hits and four RBIs, and Stapleton had two hits and three runs scored. Bedrick, Goodin, and Kihega also had two-hit games. Kihega had a double in game 1 as well.
 
Newman picked up the win in relief, moving to 11-7 on the season. The sophomore struck out two, pitching 3.2 innings. Gotshall started the second game, taking a no-decision after tossing the first three innings and allowing three runs. Freshman pitcher Raegan Gibson (Louisville, Kentucky) pitched 2.1 innings in middle relief, giving up two runs.
 
For Eastern Illinois, sophomore Alexa Rehmeier took the loss, moving to 5-4 this season. She worked 5.1 innings in middle relief, surrendering four runs. Senior pitcher Rachel Kaufman started the game for the Panthers, lasting 2.2 innings after allowing three runs.
 
Following Saturday's results, Southern Indiana improved to 13-17 overall and into third place in the OVC standings with a 7-6 mark. Eastern Illinois went to 20-14 overall and into second place in the OVC with a 9-1 conference record, as Southeast Missouri State jumped into first place.
 
The Screaming Eagles and Panthers will conclude the three-game set Saturday at 12 p.m. with the series up for grabs in the rubber game. The game can be seen with an ESPN+ subscription and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Additional coverage links are on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.