OXFORD, Ala. – University of Southern Indiana Softball's inaugural season as an NCAA Division I program came to a close on Thursday, the second day of the Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament. After capturing a win in their opening matchup, the Screaming Eagles fell 2-1 against Eastern Illinois University and 10-3 against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to eliminate USI from the tournament.
 
In what was a long day of softball at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama, #3 Southern Indiana squared off against #2 Eastern Illinois following USI's win against #6 Tennessee State University earlier in the morning. The matchup was Eastern Illinois' first game of the tournament.
 
USI started the game with methodical approaches at the plate and hard-hit balls. The Screaming Eagles had runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings but could not drive in a run. Sophomore pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) was dialed in early, getting timely strikeouts.
 
Eastern Illinois scored two to take the lead in the bottom of the third inning with one run coming off an RBI single and another on a rundown play that ended the inning.
 
The Panthers maintained their 2-0 lead until the top of the sixth inning when Southern Indiana chipped away with a run on an RBI double from senior infielder Rachel Martinez (Chicago, Illinois) that scored sophomore Olivia Howard (Fishers, Indiana) from first base. In the top of the seventh inning, the Screaming Eagles were able to get a runner at second base in junior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana), who went 2-for-4 in the game, and the potential go-ahead run at first base in senior designated player Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) with two outs, but EIU got the final out to claim the 2-1 result against USI.
 
Newman went six innings with three strikeouts and two runs allowed to earn her 16^th win this season. Her counterpart, EIU junior Olivia Price, gave up one run in seven innings to improve to 14-4 on the year.
 
The afternoon result set up an elimination game between #3 Southern Indiana and #5 SIU Edwardsville on Thursday evening. SIUE defeated #8 Morehead State University in the single elimination round on Wednesday and fell to the University of Tennessee at Martin Thursday afternoon.
 
With the sun starting to set and the shadows creeping onto the field, both offenses wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. SIUE jumped out with two runs in the top of the first inning before USI answered in the bottom half with one run on an RBI double from junior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana). Fair went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run.
 
SIUE scored one more run in the second inning to take a 3-1 lead. During the next three innings, Newman took over in relief for USI, matching zeroes with SIUE's junior starting pitcher Sydney Baalman.
 
The Cougars increased their lead to 6-1 in the top of the sixth, but the Screaming Eagles did not go away quietly. In the bottom half of the sixth, USI scored two and made it a three-run game, 6-3, off an RBI single from junior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) and an SIUE error. SIUE answered with four runs and retired USI in order in the seventh inning to close out the contest.
 
Sophomore pitcher Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) was dealt the loss as USI's starting pitcher, dropping to 4-5 on the season after allowing three runs in two innings pitched. SIUE's Baalman was credited with her 14^th win of the season after giving up one run in 6.2 innings of work.
 
Southern Indiana ended the season with a 21-23 overall record. The Screaming Eagles went 13-9 to finish in the top three in their inaugural season in the Ohio Valley Conference and at the D-I level. The 2023 season featured many historic firsts in the first season as an NCAA Division I program for USI Softball, including the first D-I win in the very first game played back in February and the first OVC win in mid-March. Plus, the program's first-ever OVC Tournament win that came against Tennessee State. Additionally, it was announced earlier this week that Newman and Goodin earned All-OVC First Team honors with Goodin also being named OVC co-Player of the Year. Now the program will turn its attention to preparing for the 2024 season.