EAST PEORIA. Ill. – The No. 2-ranked and top-seeded UIndy softball team opened the 2026 GLVC Tournament Wednesday with a 4-2 comeback win versus Drury University. The reigning champs fell behind early but thanks to resilient pitching from starter
Cheyenne Eads and some opportune hitting from the offense, the Greyhounds stayed in the winners' bracket at the eight-team, double-elimination event.
UP NEXT
The Hounds move on to face fifth-seeded Rockhurst University Thursday at 2 p.m. ET. The Hawks outlasted four-seed Missouri St. Louis, 1-0, in the opening round.
INS & OUTS
After the Panthers managed to build a 2-0 advantage in the top of the first, thanks in part to a home run from leadoff hitter Emma Niemczyk. But the Greyhounds chipped away with a single tally in the third before snatching the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth. The go-ahead score came on an infield single by
Sydney Oliver, who beat out the throw from the Drury shortstop to allow a hustling
Maya Rodriguez to score all the way from second base, making it 3-2 UIndy.
Eads endured a rocky start in the circle but responded by tossing six scoreless innings to ultimately earn the win. She allowed just one base runner over the final six frames, striking out nine on the day and walking none to move to 27-2 on the season.
Oliver and
Josie Jager each had a pair of hits,
Paige Vickery had a game-tying sac fly and also started a timely double play in the seventh, and
Brooklyn Willis plated the Hounds' first run with an RBI double in the third.
RECORD WATCH
Willis, who entered the week tied for the program's single-season record with 18 homers, now shares the school mark for total bases in a season with 154.
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