Box Score: #13 USI 12, #11 ASU 10

MONTGOMERY, Ala.. – The 13th-ranked University of Southern Indiana baseball team is advancing to the final four of the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship with a 12-10 win over 11th-ranked Angelo State University Tuesday afternoon at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama. USI raises its record to 43-22 in 2007, while Angelo State finishes the year 51-20.

The Screaming Eagles advance to play number one-ranked and defending national champion University of Tampa Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. This will be first final four appearance for USI baseball.

USI junior leftfielder Bryan Rudden (Crystal Lake, Illinois) set the tone for the game with his first home run of the season to lead-off the bottom of the first. The Eagles would go on to score five more runs and send 12 batters to the plate to make the score 6-0 after one inning.

After Angelo State rallied back for seven runs off of USI senior starter Adam Vetter (Crown Point, Indiana) and junior reliever Jeremy Kehrt (Plainfield, Indiana) in the top of the second, the Eagles retook the lead, 8-7, in the bottom of the inning on a RBI single by junior catcher Garrett Oros (Aurora, Illinois) and a RBI ground out by junior shortstop Kevin O'Hair (Scottsdale, Arizona). The one-run lead would be short lived as the Rams would score three in top of the third to take a 10-7 lead.

The Eagles would retake the lead for a third and final time by posting a three-spot of their own in the bottom of the third. Sophomore third baseman Alex Thieroff (Greenfield, Indiana) gave the Eagles an 11-10 lead with a two-RBI single after junior first baseman Matt Pleiss (Newburgh, Indiana) narrowed the margin to one with his second home run of the year.

USI extended the lead to 12-10 when O'Hair scored on a ground out by Rudden in the bottom of the fourth. O'Hair had reached on a single and advanced to third on a single by junior centerfielder Michael Beaven (Indianapolis, Indiana).

Offensive, Thieroff and O'Hair led the way with three hits each. Thieroff, Rudden, Pleiss, and sophomore designated hitter Chad Werry (New Harmony, Indiana) also had two RBIs each.

On the mound, senior right-hander Aaron Clark (Madisonville, Kentucky) and senior left-hander Brent Wendholt (St. Anthony, Indiana) stopped the Angelo State offensive attack for the final seven innings. Clark (4-2) got the win by going 3.1 innings and allowing five hits and three earned runs.

Wendholt finished the game for the Eagles to earn the save, his second of the year. He allowed one hit and struck out three in blanking the Rams over 3.2 frames of work.