EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the second day in succession, Missouri S&T's softball team dropped both halves of a doubleheader to a nationally ranked team as the Miners fell to 17
th-ranked Southern Indiana by scores of 10-2 and 6-0 in Great Lakes Valley Conference action. With two home doubleheaders remaining on the 2022 regular season schedule, the Miners hold records of 21-25 and 9-15 in the GLVC following Sunday's setbacks.
Game 1: Southern Indiana 10, Missouri S&T 2
Missouri S&T grabbed the initial lead in Sunday's opener by scoring in the opening inning as
Elizabeth Viox (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) led off by reaching on an error, moving around to third on a passed ball and a hit by
Hannah Antzoulatos (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) and scoring on a sacrifice fly by
Shannon Flowers (Katy, Texas/Katy).
S&T carried that lead into the bottom of the second, when the Screaming Eagles took advantage of an error to take the lead. With one out, S&T starter
Bryn Wooldridge (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) got Sammie Kihega on a pop-up into short right field for the second out of the inning, but the throw into the plate to hold the runner at third was wild and that runner, Katie Back, came in to score. Moments later, USI took the lead on an RBI single by Rachel Martinez.
The Screaming Eagles (36-10, 22-2 GLVC) added onto their lead with four runs in the third and two more in the fourth before S&T got another run across in the fifth on an RBI single by Flowers that brought home
Baylee Jobson (Marceline, Mo./Marceline RV), who had reached on a bunt single to open the inning. USI ended the game, however, by scoring twice in the bottom half of the inning.
USI outhit the Miners 11-5 in the first game as Wooldridge took the loss in the circle.
Game 2: Southern Indiana 6, Missouri S&T 0
The Miners were held to just three hits in the nightcap by USI's Josie Newman and got only one runner to second base in the contest when Antzoulatos did so in the first inning after a single and a stolen base.
USI took the lead in the second on Jordan Roger's leadoff homer in that frame, then scored three times in the third off Miner starter
Julia Kanoy (Hamilton, Mo./Penney) to break the game open. The first four Eagles reached base in the inning to score the first run, then a sacrifice fly and a fielder's choice brought home the other two runs.
The Screaming Eagles scored additional runs in the fourth and sixth innings for the final margin. USI finished with eight hits in the second game to outhit S&T 8-3.
The Miners will return home to play their final two home games of the 2022 season next weekend as they will entertain Illinois Springfield at noon on Saturday and conclude the home slate next Sunday with a noon twinbill against Lewis.
