ALLENDALE, Mich. – The UIndy softball team opened the 2018 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Thursday afternoon. The fourth-seeded Greyhounds ran into a hot Southern Indiana club, who defeated the Hounds, 8-1. The four-team, double-elimination tourney is being held at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.
 
It marked the second time in seven days that the Screaming Eagles beat the Hounds, as USI earned a 4-0 win at the GLVC Tournament before going on to claim the conference crown. USI moves on to face eighth-seeded Hillsdale, who earlier upset the top-seeded and host Lakers.
 
UIndy will take on GVSU, who is ranked ninth in the DII coaches poll, in an elimination game tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. However, the local forecast Friday is not a favorable one so be sure to follow @UIndyAthletics to stay abreast of any potential updates.
 
Facing USI starter Jennifer Leonhardt – a pitcher that shut them out in the conference tournament opener last week, the Greyhounds manufactured a run in the bottom of the first to take an early lead. Freshman Brooke Montgomery had a leadoff single to the opposite field, and after being bunted over by Taylor Danielson, came around to score on a base knock by Gianni Iannantone. It marked the last of the UIndy runs, however, as Leonhardt (18-11) kept the Hounds off the board the rest of the way.
 
Meanwhile, UIndy starter Lauren Honkomp retired the first 12 batters she faced, but the Eagles finally broke through in the fifth. Back-to-back singles sparked the rally, with the biggest blow coming later on a two-out, bases-loaded error that allowed three unearned runs to cross.
 
USI tacked on one run in the sixth and three more in the seventh to pull away. Honkomp (17-10) would take the loss, with only two of her eight runs allowed counting as earned. She gave up five hits while striking out five and walking four in 6 1/3 innings.
 
Junior Shannon Schuetz went 2 for 2 at the plate with a pair of singles, while Danielson added a double and a stolen base.