USI 13, UAH 3

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team extended its winning streak to five games with a 13-3 victory over the University of Alabama-Huntsville Tuesday afternoon. USI raises its record to 8-3 overall, while UAH falls to 14-9 in 2007.

The Screaming Eagles took command early in the game, exploding for six runs after two were out in the top of the second inning. The USI second inning was highlighted by a by a two-RBI double by junior first baseman Matt Pleiss (Newburgh, Indiana) and a two-RBI single by second baseman Darin Mastroianni (Huntersville, North Carolina).

USI added to its lead with a pair of tallies in the top of the fourth on a two-RBI triple by Mastroianni to make the score 8-0. The Chargers would cut the USI lead to 8-1 with a tally in the bottom half of the inning.

The Eagles added two more runs in the fifth and the seventh innings and capped off the scoring with a single run in the eighth. The Chargers would score single runs in the sixth and the eighth for the 13-3 final.

Mastroianni, who was named the GLVC Player of the Week on Monday, finished the day by going four-for-four with two doubles, a triple, and four RBIs. He also scored a run and stole a base.

Junior leftfielder Bryan Rudden (Crystal Lake, Illinois) matched Mastroianni in the RBI column by driving in four runs on three hits. Pleiss and junior shortstop Kevin O'Hair also drove in a pair of runs each.

On the mound for the Eagles, junior right-hander Jeremy Kehrt (Plainfield, Indiana) continued to roll in picking up his third victory of the year. Kehrt (3-0) allowed eight hits and two runs in 5.1 innings of work. He also struck out four batters.

USI sophomore right-hander Dan Kissel (Evansville, Indiana) finished the game to log his first save of the year. Kissel allowed four hits and a run in 3.2 innings of work.

USI and UAH finish the two game series Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Huntsville. The Eagles return home to open the GLVC schedule this weekend when they host the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Saturday and Sunday at the USI Baseball Field.