BOX SCORE: Southern Indiana | Hillsdale

AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team fell 6-2 to Southern Indiana and 2-0 to Hillsdale College (Mich.) on Thursday, at the Rebel Spring Games in Auburndale, Fla. The losses drop SMSU to 2-12 overall.

Game One
Southern Indiana struck first in the bottom of the first as the Screaming Eagles got a 2-RBI double from Brooke Harmening down the left field line. USI put its first two batters on the base paths with a walk and a single. A sac bunt by Grace Clark set up Harmening's double by moving both runners into scoring position.

USI extended its lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the fourth with four runs on six hits. Harmening led off the inning with a solo shot to left. USI loaded the bases and Teri Newmaster drove in two runs with a hard single to center. MacKenzi Dorsam followed suit with a single to center of her own to make it 6-0. SMSU got out of the inning with double play on a slick play by Kaley Scearcy at third base.

SMSU got its first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single to right by Elissa Reinsma. Katelyn Kalkman, who reached on an error with two outs, scored from second.

SMSU added a second run an inning later on an aggressive play by the pinch-running Alysse Luttmann. Scearcy hit a ground-rule double to the left field corner and Luttmann promptly stole third and ended up scoring after the throw trickled into the outfield.

That would be the closest SMSU got as the Mustangs went scoreless in the seventh inning and took a second defeat this season at the hands of USI. SMSU fell 9-0 to USI in six innings on Tuesday.

Alex O'Connor (2-6) pitched four innings and gave up all six earned runs on eight hits and two walks. Rachel Hoeppner struck out three in her two innings of relief.

Game Two
Rachel Hoeppner pitched well and was cruising until the seventh inning when she allowed the game-winning runs to cross the plate. Hoeppner walked the leadoff batter, which later scored on an RBI single by Katie Ardrey.

Before the inning Hoeppner tossed six scoreless innings, while allowing just one walk and three hits.

Hoeppner didn't receive any run support as the Mustangs managed just four hits on Hillsdales Ardrey, who improved to 2-0 with the win. Hoeppner falls to 0-6 this season.

Chelsey Rodenkirch paced SMSU with two of its four hits in the game.

SMSU put the game-winning run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but Rodenkirch lined out hard to short and the pinch-hitting Jazmyne Neely grounded out to end it.

SMSU (2-12) will wrap-up its action at the Rebel Spring Games tomorrow with games versus Glenville State (W.Va.) and Florida Southern.