Concordia-St. Paul (7-6): 7
Southern Indiana (5-9): 3
Box Score
#15 Saginaw Valley State (9-2): 10
Southern Indiana: 4
Box Score
KISSIMMEE, Fla.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team fell to Concordia University-St. Paul, 7-3, and No. 15 Saginaw Valley State University, 10-4, in its second day of the Division II Rebel Spring Games Wednesday.
After giving up a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning against Concordia-St. Paul, the Screaming Eagles’ pitching staff surrendered five runs in the fourth frame to fall into a 7-0 deficit.
Junior third baseman LeAnn Collins hit her first home run of the season to put the Eagles on the board in the sixth inning. The Eagles got a sacrifice fly from junior second baseman Amanda Brendel in the seventh inning and took advantage of a two-out error later in the frame to cut the deficit to four runs.
USI (5-9) had its opportunities throughout the game, but left nine runners on base including three in the fifth inning when senior designated player Sara Loete’s shot with the bases loaded came up just short of the fence and into the glove of Concordia-St. Paul centerfielder Tiffany Rodd.
Junior pitcher Dawn McClellan was charged with the loss after giving up four runs off five hits in three-plus innings of work.
Against Saginaw Valley State, junior first baseman Brittany DeWeese hit a two-run double in the bottom of the first inning to give the Eagles a 2-1 advantage. The double extended DeWeese’s current hitting streak to a career-high tying 10 games.
Still, the Eagles struggled defensively as the Cardinals racked up 16 hits and scored in all but two innings, including three times in both the fourth and fifth frames. Saginaw Valley State took advantage of one of USI’s three errors in the second inning to score two runs and retake the lead, then had four straight hits en route to the three-run inning in the fourth frame.
Junior centerfielder Reva LeDune-Bourgasser recorded her team-high third home run of the season when she launched a two-run shot over the rightfield fence to cut USI’s deficit to 6-4. The Cardinals, though, took advantage of a walk and three hits to score three more times in the next inning and take a commanding five-run lead.
Sophomore pitcher Hadley Clark was charged with the loss after giving up 10 runs, eight earned, in seven innings of work.
USI returns to action Friday when it takes on Ferris State University at 2 p.m. (CST) and Ashland University at 5:30 p.m.