ROLLA, Mo. – The Missouri S&T softball team picked up another win in its quest to secure a Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Tournament berth as the Lady Miners posted a 5-2 triumph over Southern Indiana this Saturday (April 21) in the first game of a doubleheader at the S&T Softball Field. 
 
USI would claim a 3-1 victory in game two as the Lady Miners collected just three hits in comparison to eight in the opener.
 
S&T never trailed in game one as the Lady Miners erupted for a pair of runs in the third and fifth innings after talking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
 
The nightcap was a different story as S&T's bats were quieted after each team scored a run in the game's initial inning.  A two-run third-inning output was all Southern Indiana needed to earn the decision.
 
Missouri S&T, which is now 11-8 at home this season, is 23-21 overall and 12-10 in the GLVC as a result of the split.  For Southern Indiana, the Screaming Eagles are 25-20 overall with a 13-11 conference mark.
 
Following the doubleheader, S&T recognized its three senior student-athletes in first baseman Ashley Rausch (Washington, Iowa/Washington), pitcher Kati Viets (Sweet Springs, Mo./Sweet Springs), and third baseman Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette). 
  
Game 1 – Missouri S&T 5, Southern Indiana 2 
 
The Lady Miners topped Southern Indiana in the opening matchup as the hosts led from start to finish. 
 
S&T quickly seized the lead as the Lady Miners tallied a run in the bottom of the opening frame on junior first baseman Gretchen Egly (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central)'s RBI double to right field to score Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette), who leadoff with an infield single. 
 
A two-run third increased the Lady Miners' advantage to 3-0 through three innings of action as S&T outfielder Olivia Young (Milstadt, Ill./Belleville Township) delivered a two-run single with no outs. A leadoff walk to Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette) followed by sophomore shortstop Abby Klein (Kansas City, MO/Staley) being hit by a pitch put two Lady Miners on base and both would eventually score as a result of Young's timely base hit.         
 
In the bottom of the fifth inning, S&T netted two more runs on three hits and an USI error to take a 5-0 lead.  Junior outfielder Carley Hamann (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way North)'s RBI sacrifice fly produced the first run and a junior second baseman Hannah Franceschini (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) single brought home the inning's second one.  
 
The Screaming Eagles scored their two runs of the game in the top of sixth inning on an RBI single and a fielder's choice but their comeback attempt came up short.
 
Sophomore pitcher Avery English (Carterville, Ill./Carterville) (16-10) struck out four and walked one in going the distance for S&T, which compiled eight hits and left seven runners on base in the contest.
 
Oliva Young and Gretchen Egly (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central) paced the S&T hitting attack with two apiece as six different Lady Miners generated a base hit.
 
Courtney Atkisson took the loss for USI, throwing the game's first 4.2 innings and allowing five runs on eight hits.  Haylee Smith pitched the final 1.1 innings and didn't allow a hit while issuing a walk and recording one strikeout.
           
Game 2 – Southern Indiana 3, Missouri S&T 1
 
Unlike the opener, S&T's bats went almost silent in the nightcap as the Lady Miners could muster three hits off Southern Indiana starting pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt. 
 
Both teams plated a run in the first inning as the Screaming Eagles scored on Mena Fulton's RBI single off S&T pitcher Kati Viets (Sweet Springs, Mo./Sweet Springs) while in the bottom of the frame a USI wild pitch allowed Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette) to score from third base.  Weiss started the inning with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.  A passed ball followed allowing Weiss to take third base and with two outs, she capitalized on a Leonhardt wild pitch to knot the game up at 1-1.
 
The final scoring in the contest would occur two innings later as Southern Indiana's Mena Fulton struck again, this time with a two-RBI double in the top of the third to snap the deadlock before S&T retired the next two hitters to prevent any further damage.
 
The Lady Miners' only scoring threat the rest of the way was in the sixth inning when with two outs, Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette) walked and Abby Klein (Kansas City, MO/Staley) singled, but Olivia Young (Milstadt, Ill./Belleville Township) was retired on a fly out to left field for the inning-ending out.  
 
Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette) along with Abby Klein (Kansas City, MO/Staley) and Hannah Franceschini (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) were the lone S&T players to get a hit off USI hurler Jennifer Leonhardt, who fanned six in a seven-inning effort to go along with a game-high tying two base hits.  Southern Indiana racked up seven hits as Kati Viets (Sweet Springs, Mo./Sweet Springs) (7-10) was saddled with the loss despite striking out five and walking one.
 
The Lady Miners, who turned a double play as did Southern Indiana twice, left two runners on the base paths while the Screaming Eagles had seven.  
           
Up Next
Missouri S&T closes out the home portion of its 2018 regular-season schedule this Monday (April 23) with a conference doubleheader versus the McKendree Bearcats in Rolla, Mo.  The rescheduled twin bill starts at 1 p.m. (CT) with game one and the nightcap is slated to begin at 3 p.m.