NEW ALBANY, Ind. --- The University of St. Francis softball team opened its 2022 season by settling for a split with Indiana University Southeast on Sunday afternoon. The Saints jumped out to an early 7-0 lead to win the opener 7-2, but gave up two unearned runs late in the nightcap to fall 2-1.

Maddy Eckberg drove in four of the seven runs in the first game, while Kenna Kleinert was the only Saints to record a hit in each end of the twinbill.

Bridget McDermott and Hannah Vachon both pitched well on the day. Vachon did not allow an earned run in her 8 1/3 innings pitched. She also struck out nine batters.  McDermott pitched 4 2/3 innings of two run ball with five strikeouts.

Game 1: USF 7, Indiana Southeast 2
Eckberg and Brittany Osborne sparked the St. Francis offense with runs batted in in each of its scoring innings. The former opened the scoring with a bases loaded single in the second inning before making Indiana Southeast (1-3) pay for a two out error with her three run double in the third inning.

Osborne followed with a sacrifice fly in the second inning and an RBI single in the third to close out USF's scoring both in the four run frame and the contest.
Eckberg, Osborne, and Kaylie Sippel combined for six of the seven Saint hits with two apiece.

McDermott (1-0) went the first four innings to gain the victory in the circle. Vachon closed things out with three scoreless innings of one hit ball to earn the save.

Game 2: Indiana Southeast 2, USF 1
Both teams struggled to get any kind of offense going in the nightcap with each squad managing just four hits. Three of USF's four came in the only inning that it would score – the second – on a Gracyn Gabriel two out single to right field.

The Saints did have a chance to extend the lead in the sixth inning when Danielle Callahan doubled with only one out, but Meghan Waggoner got a groundout and a strikeout to end the threat. She went the distance to even her record at 1-1, striking out six batters in the process against three walks and the four hits.   

Indiana Southeast followed one-half inning later with its two runs, both of which were unearned after the Saints committed an error to open the frame.

Vachon (0-1) deserved a better fate, striking out seven batters opposite three walks in her 5 1/3 innings.

Up Next
The Saints close out the four game weekend set on the Indiana/Kentucky border with a 1 pm doubleheader on Monday against Brescia University in Owensboro, Ky.

Live coverage can be found at gofightingsaints.com/coverage. You can also keep up with all things USF on Twitter @USFSaints.