EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball willed its way to an exciting doubleheader sweep of Tennessee Tech University on Saturday, as the Screaming Eagles captured an 8-0 win and an 8-7 walk-off victory at USI Softball Field.
 
Southern Indiana entered Senior Weekend and the final series of the regular season in fourth place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. USI Softball utilized three home runs and several extra-base hits to power their way up a spot in the standings by the end of Saturday.
 
Saturday's opener started with a scoreless tie through three innings. Both starting pitchers, USI sophomore Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) and Tennessee Tech graduate senior Callie Piper worked around early baserunners. Southern Indiana had opportunities with runners in scoring position in each of the first three frames but could not find an RBI knock against Piper. The visiting Golden Eagles had the bases loaded in the top of the third, but Newman buckled down with a pair of strikeouts to strand the bases loaded.
 
The Screaming Eagles broke through in a big way in the bottom of the fourth inning when junior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) squared up on a pitch that went over the left-center fence for her first home run of the season. The solo shot sparked the offense, as back-to-back doubles from sophomore infielder Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) and senior infielder Rachel Martinez (Chicago, Illinois) gave USI a 2-0 advantage. USI led 3-0 through four innings.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, USI piled onto its lead. Martinez tallied another RBI before sophomore outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana) went deep with a three-run big fly, her first homer of the season. With USI up 7-0 and runners at second and third, senior designated player Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) ended the first game with an RBI single to give USI the 8-0 victory in five innings.
 
In game 1, Martinez went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and a pair of runs. Nalley recorded three RBIs on the home run, and Gotshall went 2-for-3 with two runs. Senior infielder Jordan Rager (Fishers, Indiana) also had two hits.
 
Newman was credited with her 15^th win of the season after the five-inning shutout. She struck out four and surrendered only two hits. Her counterpart, Piper, suffered the loss after giving up three runs off six hits in three innings of work.
 
In the backend of Saturday's twin bill, the Screaming Eagles found early momentum in the first inning, scoring two runs off miscues by the Golden Eagles. However, Tennessee Tech responded and surged into the lead, 4-2, after tallying two runs on wild pitches and another two on a single in the top of the second inning. Tennessee Tech went on to score three more runs in the third inning to make it seven unanswered runs for the Golden Eagles, who led 7-2 after three innings.
 
As Gotshall took over in the pitching circle as USI's third pitcher of the game in the fourth inning, USI seemed to settle back in. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Southern Indiana scratched across a run after three straight two-out singles. USI chipped away some more in the sixth frame, as Martinez continued her solid afternoon with a two-RBI double that brought USI back within two, 7-5.
 
Gotshall continued to pitch well in relief, keeping USI within striking distance as the contest entered the bottom of the seventh inning. At the start of the inning, Tennessee Tech brought in Piper, the game 1 starter, in relief. Following a leadoff walk and an out, Goodin belted a two-run home run over left field to tie the game, 7-7. It was Goodin's team-best sixth home run of the season. With the bases cleared, the next three USI batters reached to load the bases. Two batters later and with two outs, Nalley came through once again with the walk-off RBI hit to give USI the 8-7 win. It marked USI's largest comeback victory of the 2023 campaign.
 
Martinez and Goodin had two RBIs, while Nalley and Rager each had one. Gotshall went 2-for-4, and junior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) scored two runs, had one hit, and earned two key walks.
 
Gotshall picked up the win after four innings of relief, improving to 4-4 this season. The sophomore right-hander struck out and allowed only one hit in the outing. With the walk-off finish, the Golden Eagles' Piper was charged with the loss.
 
Following Saturday's results, USI Softball improved to 20-21 overall and 13-9 in the OVC, taking over the third seed in the conference standings ahead of the OVC Tournament later this week. Tennessee Tech dropped to 6-44 with a 2-21 conference record. Heading into Sunday, only the fifth and sixth seeds remain undetermined.
 
The Screaming Eagles and Golden Eagles will conclude the regular season and weekend series Sunday at 12 p.m. from USI Softball Field, as USI seeks a series sweep. Admission to all 2023 USI Softball home spring games is free, courtesy of The Women's Hospital Deaconess.
 
USI Softball will recognize the 2023 senior class with Senior Day ceremonies taking place after Sunday's game. USI will recognize four seniors – outfielder Emma Tucher (New Palestine, Indiana), infielder Rachel Martinez, utility Allie Goodin, and infielder Jordan Rager. The 2023 seniors have led the program from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 all the way through the program's first season at the NCAA Division I level in 2023.
 
Sunday's contest can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+. Additional coverage links are on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.