BOX SCORES AND PLAY-BY-PLAY:
Game 1: KWC 14, USI 7; Game 2: USI 9, KWC 5
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 19th-ranked University of Southern Indiana baseball team posted a doubleheader split with Kentucky Wesleyan College Sunday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles dropped the opener to the Panthers, 14-17, but bounced back to take the nightcap, 9-5.
USI raises its records to 11-7 overall and 2-2 in the GLVC, while KWC goes to 7-9, 1-1 GLVC.
The Eagles won the nightcap in the first two innings by scoring seven times. The four-run first inning was highlighted by the first collegiate hit by freshman third baseman Reece Rounder (Evansville, Indiana), a two-run doubles.
USI increased the lead to 7-0 with a three-run second inning. Freshman catcher Zach Wilkinson (Evansville, Indiana) posted his first collegiate hit and home run to lead off the inning.
KWC would try to make a game of it, scoring four times in the third and once in the fifth to close the margin to 7-5. USI sealed the victory when it scored twice in the sixth for the 9-5 final.
Wilkinson and junior centerfielder Justin Blinn (Vincennes, Indiana) led the way in the nightcap with two hits each. Blinn, who had a triple in the three-run second inning, was two-for-three with two runs scored and one RBI, while Wilkinson was two-for-three with a run scored and one RBI.
On the mound, junior right-hander Trevor Leach (Danville, Indiana) picked up the win by putting the fire out in the fourth. Leach (3-0) struck out the only batter he faced.
Senior right-hander Casey Geiger (Albion, Indiana) got the no-decision in his second start. He allowed four runs (one earned) and three hits in 3.2 innings of work
After junior right-hander Jared Canterbury (Petersburg, Indiana) allowed a run and got through two-thirds of the fifth, senior right-hander Wandy Rosario (Boston Massachusetts) finished the game and posted his second save of the year. Rosario allowed one hit and struck out two in 2.1 innings of work.
The Panthers dominated the Eagles in the opening game, 14-7. KWC broke a 3-3 tie with a seven run fourth inning on nine hits before going on to score 14 times on 21 hits.
USI was led offensively in the first game junior leftfielder Michael Huling (South Bend, Indiana), who was three-for-five with a pair of runs scored and one RBI. Junior first baseman Adam Enright (Hammond, Indiana) followed by going two-for-four with a run scored and two RBIs.
With his second hit of the game, Enright tied a USI Record by reaching base safely in 12 straight plate appearances. The record was originally set by Stu Sheets in 1994.
On the mound, sophomore right-hander Josh Schultze (Evansville, Indiana) took the loss for the Eagles. Schultze (1-1) allowed eight runs (six earned) and 11 hits in 3.1 innings of work, while striking out three.
USI goes on the road Wednesday when it travels to Bellarmine University for a 1 p.m. (CDT) single game in Louisville, Kentucky. The Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field March 19-20 for a two-game series versus the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
