Southern Indiana (4-7): 3 @South Carolina-Aiken (9-10): 10

Aiken, SC– The University of Southern Indiana baseball team could not overcome a five-run second inning by the University of South Carolina-Aiken, losing its fourth of the spring trip, 7-3, Monday evening in Aiken, South Carolina. USI falls to 4-6 overall, while the Pacers improve to 9-10.

With a 2-0 lead after an inning and a half, the Pacers scored five times in the bottom of the second inning, aided by two USI errors. USCA also had a pair of home runs in the inning off of junior starting right-hander Matt Keener (Newburgh, Indiana).

Keener, 0-1, finished his third outing of the season by going four innings and allowing nine hits and seven runs, four earned, and struck out one.

USI tried to get back into the games, narrowing the USCA lead to 7-3 with a pair of runs in the fourth and a single tally in the fifth. The Pacers sealed the victory with three runs in the bottom of the eighth for the 10-3 win.

A positive for the Eagles was the pitching of senior right-hander Mike Kottmeyer (Boulder, Illinois). Kottmeyer went three innings in relief of Keener, allowing one hit while striking out three.

At the plate, senior first baseman Toby Pritchard (Ft. Wayne, Indiana) led the Eagles with a pair of hits and an RBI. Sophomore leftfielder Tyler Ford (Fishers, Indiana) also had a pair of hits, going two-for-three with a run scored before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the ninth.

The Eagles try to get back on track at Augusta State University Tuesday and Wednesday, March 9-10, for a two-game series before heading back north. Game time Tuesday and Wednesday is 1:30 p.m. each day. USI resumes its home schedule Saturday and Sunday, March 13-14, when Quincy University visits the Eagles to begin the GLVC schedule.