EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 24th-ranked University of Southern Indiana baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader to the University of Montevallo to open the 2011 home scheduled Saturday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles lost the opener, 2-1, and the nightcap, 7-2.
USI falls to 2-5 this spring, while Montevallo goes to 8-5 in 2011.
The Eagles fell short of giving senior right-hander Trevor Leach (Danville, Indiana) the all-time record for wins in game one, losing to Montevallo by a run. Leach (1-1) lost for just the third time his career, allowing two runs on eight hits with three walks and four strike outs.
USI scored first with a run in the first inning when junior infielder Brad Vance (Louisville, Kentucky) singled in junior third baseman Ryan Kaczmarski (Mishawaka, Indiana). The Falcons bounced back to tie the score, 1-1, in the top of the third.
The game would remain tied at 1-1 until the Falcons pushed the eventual game-winning run across in the top of the seventh.
In the nightcap, the Eagles and the Falcon pushed a run across in the first inning. USI senior designated hitter Tyler Choate (Carmi, Illinois) singled in senior leftfielder Michael Huling (South Bend, Indiana) to make the score, 1-1.
Montevallo regained the lead, 3-1, with a two-run fifth before USI was able to close the gap with a tally in the bottom of the seventh. Kaczmarski drove in freshman rightfielder Brad Wannemuehler (Evansville, Indiana) with a sacrifice fly to slice the deficit in half, 3-2.
The Falcons responded with four runs in the top of the seventh to seal the victory.
USI junior right-hander Josh Schultze (Evansville, Indiana) took the loss for the Eagles. Schultze (0-1) went seven innings, allowing nine hits and four runs. He also struck out four batters.
The Eagles and the Falcons conclude the three-game series Sunday at noon.
