Box Score Game 1: Southern Indiana 14, Missouri-St. Louis 5
Box Score Game 2: Southern Indiana 10, Missouri-St. Louis 7


EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 29th-ranked University of Southern Indiana baseball team swept a doubleheader and captured a series win over the University of Missouri-St. Louis Monday evening at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. USI raises its record to 20-8 overall, 10-2 in the GLVC, and 6-2 in the West Division, while UMSL falls to 9-16, 4-10 GLVC, and 1-3 West Division.

In the opener, the Screaming Eagles scored 10 times in the fourth and four more in the seventh to win 14-5. The 10-run fourth inning was highlighted by a grand slam by junior third Tyler Choate (Carmi, Illinois) and a two-run blast by senior rightfielder Chad Werry (New Harmony, Indiana). Werry also provided the fireworks in the seventh with a second two-run shot.

USI senior right-hander Alex Thieroff led the way on the mound for the Eagles and picked up his second win. Thieroff (2-0) allowed five hits and four runs, two earned, while striking out three in five innings of work. Freshman right-hander Shad Macke (Evansville, Indiana) finished up for the Eagles, pitching the final two innings without allowing a run.

In the series finale, the Eagles had to come-from-behind after spotting the Tritons a first-inning lead for the fourth straight game. USI responded by scoring eight times between the second and fifth innings to lead 8-2.

The Triton rallied to cut the margin to 8-4 with a pair of runs in the sixth, but the Eagles got the runs back in top of the seventh to make the score 10-4.

USI was led offensively in the nightcap by senior centerfielder Chad Bruce (Fountaintown, Indiana), who was four-for-four with two doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs. Bruce was joined by the two-RBI performances of junior shortstop Wes Fink (Clarksville, Tennessee) and sophomore catcher Dylan Mooney (St. Charles, Missouri).

The win on the mound went to sophomore right-hander Cody Brandenstein (Evansville, Indiana) in relief, his first as an Eagle. Brandenstein (1-1), who relieved senior right-handed starter Michael Dewig (Haubstadt, Indiana) in the first innings, allowed two hits and two runs in five innings of work, while striking out two.

After the Tritons put three across the plate in the bottom of the eighth off of Macke, senior right-handed closer Shaun Larsen (Tell City, Indiana) came in to close the door. Larsen posted his eighth save of the year by going 1.1 innings of scoreless work.

The Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field Wednesday when they host Northern Kentucky University for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.