March 29, 2008

Eagles sweep Quincy to improve to 5-1 in GLVC play

Southern Indiana (18-12, 5-1 GLVC): 4, at Quincy (15-9, 0-4 GLVC): 1
-Game 1 Box Score

Southern Indiana: 7, at Quincy: 3
-Game 2 Box Score

QUINCY, Ill.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team swept a GLVC doubleheader from Quincy University Saturday afternoon, winning game one, 4-1, and game two, 7-3.

Amy Harrison

USI (18-12, 5-1 GLVC) got a great pitching performance from senior hurler Amy Harrison (Graceville, Florida) and some timely hitting to grab the victory in game one. Harrison (9-7) allowed just one run off two hits, while recording her second-highest strikeout total (11) of the season.

Offensively, the Screaming Eagles plated a pair of runs in the third inning to grab a 2-0 lead. Senior leftfielder Kathy Wood (Lynnville, Indiana) doubled down the leftfield line to push across the first run, while senior centerfielder Kirsten Morgan (Oakland City, Indiana) scored USI's second run on a passed ball.

Dani Finkelstein

Leading 2-1 in the top of the seventh inning, USI got some insurance runs when freshman second baseman Dani Finkelstein (Windsor, Colorado) hit a two-run blast—the first round-tripper of her collegiate career—over the left-centerfield fence.

Quincy (15-9, 0-4 GLVC) brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning. However, Harrison got two straight strikeouts to end the threat and get the win for the Eagles.

Kristin Eickholt

In game two, senior third baseman/pitcher Kristin Eickholt (Van Wert, Ohio) gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead when she hit a two-run shot over the left-centerfield fence. Eickholt put the Eagles up 3-0 with a solo home run, her fourth of the season, in the third inning. With the home runs and RBIs, Eickholt moved into sole possession of second on USI's all-time home run list (17) and RBI list (113).

USI tacked on another run in the fifth inning when junior shortstop Allyn McKinley (Sullivan, Indiana) hit a run-scoring single to centerfield.

Sara Loete

Leading 4-1 in the top of the sixth inning, the Eagles used a two-out, three-run shot by sophomore designated player Sara Loete (Pekin, Illinois) to extend their lead to six runs. It was Loete's team-leading seventh home run of the season and pushed her RBI count to 32 on the year.

Eickholt (1-2), who got out of a jam in the fifth inning, picked up the complet