BOX SCORE: UWP 7, USI 2

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team opened the Dunn Hospitality Invitational by dropping a 7-2 decision to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Friday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI falls to 6-4 overall in 2010, while UW-Parkside goes to 2-7.

The Rangers jumped out a 3-0 lead in the first inning with the aid of two Screaming Eagle errors and a two-run blast by UW-Parkside. The Eagles would cut the lead to 3-1 on an RBI-double by junior catcher Dylan Mooney (St. Charles, Missouri), scoring junior centerfielder Justin Blinn (Vincennes, Indiana).

The score would remain 3-1 until the seventh when the Rangers increased the lead to 5-1 on a second two-run home run. UW-Parkside sealed the victory with a pair of runs in the eighth before USI junior first baseman Adam Enright (Hammond, Indiana) knocked in sophomore second baseman Brad Vance (Louisville, Kentucky) with an RBI single to right to make it a 7-2 final.

USI senior shortstop Wandy Rosario (Boston, Massachusetts) led the Eagles at the plate with three hits, including a double, while Mooney had a pair of doubles and drove in a run.

On the mound, Eagles' starting senior right-hander Tyler Choate (Carmi, Illinois) took the loss after leaving the game after two innings due to an arm injury. Choate (3-1) allowed three runs on three hits and struck out two.

Junior right-hander Trevor Leach (Danville, Indiana) followed Choate to the mound and allowed four runs on six hits in 5.1 innings of work. Junior left-hander Scott Handley (Schererville, Indiana) and junior right-hander Mark Walther (Kankakee, Illinois) finished the game for the Eagles.

The Dunn Hospitality Invitational resumes Saturday at the USI Baseball Field when UW-Parkside plays Wayne State College (NE) at 11 p.m., while USI takes on UW-Parkside in the second game at 2:30 p.m.