PEORIA, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Softball had its 2025 campaign come to an end at the Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament Thursday following a pair of losses to Eastern Illinois University, 4-1, and Tennessee Tech University, 2-1.
After opening the tournament with a win on Wednesday against fifth-seeded Lindenwood University, Southern Indiana could not keep the momentum in their favor on Thursday. USI concluded its 2025 season with a 17-25 overall record and 13-11 during the conference season.
The fourth-seeded Screaming Eagles advanced in the winner's bracket with Wednesday's win to set up a matchup against No. 1 Eastern Illinois early Thursday.
Despite both teams getting chances with runners in scoring position early, the game was scoreless through two innings. USI capitalized in the top of the third inning to score first on an RBI single by senior infielder
Whitley Hunter to drive home senior outfielder
Kennedy Nalley and give the Eagles a 1-0 advantage. However, Eastern Illinois had a quick response, scoring a couple of runs in the bottom of the third to take a one-run lead, 2-1.
After each side was kept off the scoreboard in the fourth and fifth innings, the Panthers added on to their lead with another set of runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 4-1 lead. Eastern Illinois closed the game from there.
Nalley and sophomore infielder
Sydney Long each tallied two hits. Both of Long's hits went for extra bases. USI totaled five hits in the game. In the pitching circle, freshman pitcher
Kylie Witthaus (6-8) gave Southern Indiana a solid start and a chance in her postseason debut, going 5.1 innings with four runs – three earned – allowed and three strikeouts.
EIU's sophomore pitcher McKenzie Oslanzi (20-12) got the win after giving up an unearned run in four innings. Junior pitcher Karlie McKenzie recorded her sixth save of the season by finishing off the last three innings.
Similar to USI's Thursday slate in the 2024 OVC Tournament, the Screaming Eagles ended up facing off against No. 7 Tennessee Tech in the evening contest once again.
The Golden Eagles struck first with a first-inning run on Thursday, which stood as the only run through four innings. The game settled into a pitcher's duel between Southern Indiana senior pitcher
Josie Newman and Tennessee Tech sophomore pitcher Emily York, with both working around some baserunners.
The Screaming Eagles tied the game, 1-1, in the top of the fifth on a two-out RBI infield hit by freshman infielder
Jordan Mackey. However, Tennessee Tech wound up scoring the game-winning run on an RBI knock in the bottom of the sixth, as USI could not even it back up once more in the seventh.
Long had another two-hit game on the day against Tennessee Tech, including her second triple of the day. Junior outfielder
Caroline Stapleton also collected two hits. As a team, Southern Indiana had seven hits against the Golden Eagles.
On the pitching side, Newman (11-16) went the full six innings, striking out three and allowing two runs. The right-hander concluded her USI career top five in the USI Softball record books in innings pitched (690.0), complete games (80), and wins (66). Newman finished just outside the top five with 18 career shutouts. Most notably, Newman landed second in USI history with 753 career strikeouts.
York (11-9) received the win after also going the distance, surrendering one run with four strikeouts.
After a third consecutive appearance in the OVC Tournament in three years at the NCAA Division I level, USI Softball will turn its attention to preparing for 2026.
