EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The No. 1-ranked UIndy softball team saw its historic win streak come to an end Saturday. The Greyhounds (32-1, 15-1 GLVC) took the opener at Southern Indiana, 2-1, but fell, 12-3, in game two, capping their season-opening, program-record win streak at 32.
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Additionally, both teams took part in USI's annual "Awareness Day" Saturday, with each student-athlete and coach having the opportunity to play for someone they love or know that has been affected by disease, illness, handicap, or other special cause. All players wore colored ribbons representing the person they were honoring. See below for the complete list of whom each Greyhound played for Saturday.
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GAME 1The Hounds survived a late rally in the opener. After pushing across an unearned run to take a slim 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh, the host Eagles managed a single a pair of walks to load the bases with two out.
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With the potential tying run at third and the winning run in scoring position, junior slugger Haley Hodges stepped in the batter's box. The GLVC's home run leader lifted a fly ball to right ball but
Natalie Lalich tracked it down to secure the win.
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UIndy All-American
Morgan Foley went the distance in the circle, upping her record to 24-0 on the year. She gave up five hits and four walks and faced multiple base runners in four innings, but she battled her way to 11 strikeouts while allowing just a single unearned run.
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Offensively, the Hounds had only two hits through five innings but finally got on the board with an RBI double by
Jessie Noone in the sixth. An inning later, freshman
Emma Varsbergs scored the game-winning run after doubling to left and eventually coming around on an Eagle throwing error.
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Senior
Jenny Thompson was the only Hound with more than one hit, earning a pair of singles. The Greensburg, Ind., native has garnered a hit in 19 of the last 21 games including at least one in each of the last six.
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GAME 2UIndy jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but things began to unravel in the bottom of the third. The Eagles hung nine runs in the fatal frame, seven of which were unearned. Back-to-back triples by the provided the fuel for USI, with one coming with the bases loaded.
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All three of UIndy runs came on solo homers, with
Katie Kelly and Noone going deep in the third and Taylor Weck touching them all in the fifth. Kelly also added a single and a walk, while Thompson managed two bases on balls.
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UIndy returns home Sunday to host Bellarmine in a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. ET. The Greyhounds will hold its annual MDA Day festivities prior to the games.
AWARENESS DAY INFOÂ