MARTIN, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Softball recorded a 6-1 victory in the regular-season finale at the University of Tennessee at Martin on Sunday afternoon, belting three home runs, including two by junior outfielder
Kate Satkoski, and receiving a complete game from freshman pitcher
Anna Kemp in the process.
With the win, USI Softball (14-30, 11-16 OVC) earned the No. 6 seed in the coming week's Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament and snapped an eight-game losing streak. UT Martin (33-19, 20-6 OVC) finished as the second seed and had a five-game winning streak snapped.
Following a leadoff walk in the top of the second inning, Satkoski broke the scoreless tie with a two-run home run to left, her third of the season, to give USI a 2-0 lead.
Then, in the next inning, sophomore first baseman
Lilly Brown barreled one up to the opposite field for a solo home run, and her first career home run, to extend the Screaming Eagles' advantage to 3-0.
As Kemp continued to keep the UT Martin bats in check, USI doubled its lead to 6-0 in the top of the fifth inning. With two outs, Satkoski belted her second home run of the day and fourth of the season to left-center field for a three-run blast.
Even though UT Martin got one run back in the bottom of the fifth, Kemp and the Screaming Eagles slammed the door for the rest of the game to secure the series finale victory.
USI totaled 10 hits in the contest, for the second time in the series. Satkoski led the way with the two home runs and five RBIs. Brown also tallied a pair of hits and had an RBI off the solo home run. Seniors
Caroline Stapleton and
Olivia Money also notched two hits.
Meanwhile, Kemp (5-11) recorded the win after hurling a complete game with five strikeouts and allowing a single run. The right-hander held UT Martin to only four hits.
UT Martin used four pitchers in the game, with starting pitcher Sami Scholtz (5-5) being charged with the loss after surrendering two runs in two innings pitched.
Next, the Screaming Eagles will head into next week's Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament. USI will begin play on Wednesday at 10 a.m. from the Louisville Slugger Complex in Peoria, Illinois. As the sixth seed, USI will face No. 7 seed Tennessee Tech University in the single-elimination round. The winner advances to the double-elimination portion of the tournament.
All games of the tournament can be seen with an ESPN+ subscription. Additional coverage and live stat links are available on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.
