BOX SCORE GAME 1: USI 5, Tiffin 0
BOX SCORE GAME 2: USI11, Tiffin 7
Photo Gallery
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team opened the 2010 home schedule with a doubleheader sweep of Tiffin University, 5-0 and 11-7, Saturday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI raises its record to 5-3 overall, while Tiffin falls to 3-6 this spring.
In the opener, USI senior right-hander Tyler Choate (Carmi, Illinois) recorded a three-hit shutout of the Dragons, 5-0. Choate scattered the three Tiffin hits over seven innings of work, while striking out three. The senior right-hander was helped by two USI double plays and only one Dragon to reach third.
Eagles' junior centerfielder Michael Huling (South Bend, Indiana) led the USI attack at the plate by going three-for-three with a pair of RBIs. Senior rightfielder Caleb Ehmke (Waterloo, Indiana) also had a pair of RBIs in the win with a two-run home run in the third inning.
USI had to comeback from a pair of deficits to defeat Tiffin, 11-7, in the nightcap. The Dragons led 1-0 with a run in the second and 4-1 with three tallies in the third inning. The Eagles battled back with 10 unanswered runs to build an 11-4 lead. Tiffin would try to claw back into the game with a three-run ninth inning, but would fall short.
The Eagles had a power explosion in the second game with sophomore second baseman Brad Vance (Louisville, Kentucky), junior leftfielder Justin Blinn (Vinennes, Indiana) and senior shortstop Wes Fink (Clarksville, Tennessee) all hitting home runs. Vance, who finished game two by going three-for-five with four RBIs, had the big shot in the seventh with a three-run bomb to make the score 10-4.
Senior shortstop Wandy Rosario (Boston Massachusetts) also had a big game at the plate in the nightcap. Rosario went four-for-four with two runs scored and two RBIs.
On the mound, junior right-hander Trevor Leach (Danville, Indiana) posted his first win of the year in relief. Leach scattered three hits over 5.2 innings of work to get the win.
Leach followed junior right-hander Taylor Dennis (Covington, Indiana), who lasted just 2.1 innings and allowed four runs, three runs, in 2.1 innings. Junior right-hander Mark Walther (Kankakee, Illinois) pitched the ninth for the Eagles, allowing three runs before setting down the last three Dragons.
The Eagles and the Dragons conclude the three-game series Sunday at the USI Baseball Field. The first pitch is scheduled for noon.
