COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Indiana State softball split a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Tech Softball Field to open their weekend at the Golden Eagle Classic at Tennessee Tech.
 
Game One
The Sycamores fell to Bellarmine in their opening game of the weekend, losing 8-7 as the Knights hit a three-run walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.
 
In a game full of offense, Indiana State jumped out in front with two runs in the first. Following back-to-back singles from Abi Chipps and Bella Peterson, Isabella Henning sent a double to left center, scoring both Chipps and Peterson to give ISU a 2-0 lead.
 
Indiana State would extend their lead to 3-0 after Lexie Siwek laid down a bunt single which brought home Isabella Henning, who led off the inning with her second double of the game.
 
Lexi Benko was the starting pitcher for the Sycamores and cruised through the first four innings, allowing no runs and striking out three.
 
Bellarmine's offense exploded in the fifth, scoring four runs in the inning to take a 4-3 lead. The Knights strung together five hits in the inning as well and got help from a Sycamore throwing error to put up the crooked number.
 
The Sycamores answered quickly in the top of the sixth, putting up three runs to regain the lead at 6-4. Annie Tokarek started the rally with a double off the wall in left center. Isabella Henning followed her with her third hit of the afternoon, an RBI single, which scored Grace Hunger who pinch ran for Tokarek. TeAnn Bringle singled to center field next to move Henning to second. Next up was Lexie Siwek who singled to left field to score Henning. Bringle would score on a Kaylee Barrett SAC fly to cap the scoring in the frame.
 
The Knights cut into the lead with a two-out solo shot in the bottom of the sixth, making it a 6-5 contest.
Bella Peterson got that run back in the seventh when she hit her third home run of the season with a shot over the wall in left center.
 
With Indiana State leading 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh and two away in the inning, Bellarmine hit a walk-off three-run shot to left field to win the game 8-7.
 
The loss drops Benko to 5-5 on the season. She finished the game with three strikeouts.
 
The two teams combined for 22 hits in the game, Bellamine having 12 and Indiana State with 10.
 
Isabella Henning led the offense, finishing 3-for-4 and driving in three runs.
Lexie Siwek and Bella Peterson also had multi-hit games for the Sycamores. Siwek finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and Peterson went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
 
Game Two
Indiana State bounced back from the loss earlier in the afternoon, taking down Quinnipiac 6-3.
The offense stayed hot from the earlier game, collecting 11 hits in the night cap.
 
Quinnipiac took a 1-0 lead out of the gates, but Cassi Newbanks was able to get out of the inning and strand a runner on third.
 
After going 1-2-3 in the first, the Sycamore offense came through in the second, scoring two to give ISU a 2-1 lead. Amanda Guercio led off the inning with her second home run of the season, an opposite field shot over the wall in right center. TeAnn Bringle followed her with a double down the left field line and was moved to second with a SAC bunt from Lexie Siwek. Kennedy Shade hit a line drive single into right field that would score Bringle to give ISU the lead.
 
Newbanks struck out two batters in the third, getting the Sycamores back to the plate where Abi Chipps led the inning off with a single up the middle. She would steal second then come around to score after a Bobcat throwing error, giving Indiana State a 3-1 lead.
 
The Bobcats fought back in the fourth, plating two runs on three hits to tie the game at three.
 
Indiana State would threaten in the fifth, putting runners on second and third after a double from Olivia Patton and a single from Bella Peterson. The Sycamores did not score after the Knights turned a double play off an Isabella Henning line drive and got out of the jam.
 
Lyndsi Adamson replaced Newbanks to begin the sixth, who exited after five innings of work while striking out four batters.
 
Adamson worked a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth to bring ISU to the plate with the game tied 3-3.
 
The Sycamores struck for three in the inning, collecting four hits in the inning. Leading off the frame, Amanda Guercio singled to center for her third hit of the night. Lexie Siwek would drive in pinch runner Danielle Henning with an RBI single to make it 4-3. Kennedy Shade and Kaylee Barrett would reach base and come around to score on a pinch-hit, 2-RBI double from Annie Tokarek which put ISU up 6-3.
 
Adamson worked another perfect inning, striking out the game's final batter to secure the win. The victory moves her record to 3-0 on the season.
 
Amanda Guercio finished the contest 3-for-3, driving in a run as well as scoring a run. Kennedy Shade was the only other Sycamore with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Six others recorded a hit in the game, totaling 11 for the night which marked the first time ISU has recorded double-digit hits in consecutive games.
 
Around the Horn
-Indiana State now has three players with six doubles each; Bella Peterson, Annie Tokarek and Isabella Henning.
 
-Bella Peterson has now reached base safely in 10 straight games.
 
-The Sycamores lead the all-time series over Quinnipiac 2-0 while falling to 0-1 all-time against Bellarmine.

Up Next
Indiana State will complete their trip to Tennessee with a doubleheader on Monday, taking on Quinnipiac at 4 p.m. ET and then wrapping up the day against Tennessee Tech at 6:30 p.m. ET.

For the latest information on Sycamore Softball, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.