BOX SCORE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team erased a three-run deficit to defeat the University of Illinois Springfield, 7-3, Friday night in the Dunn Hospitality Tournament at the USI Baseball Field. USI rises over the .500 mark to 6-5, while UIS falls to 2-5 in 2011.
After the Screaming Eagles spotted the Prairie Stars a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth, USI scored a run in the bottom of the fourth and fifth to cut the deficit to 3-2. The Eagles took the lead for good with a three-run sixth.
USI junior catcher Jarrod Rose (Mishawaka, Indiana) drove in senior designated hitter Tyler Choate (Carmi, Illinois) with the tying run to make the score, 3-3. Senior leftfielder Michael Huling (South Bend, Indiana) scored USI's fourth run and eventual game-winning run on a ground out by senior third baseman Ben Griggs (Evansville, Indiana).
The Eagles would go on to score one more in the sixth and sealed the victory with a tally in the seventh and the eighth.
Choate finished the game with a team-best two hits, doubles in the fourth and the sixth, and a pair of runs scored.
On the mound, junior right-handed pitcher Josh Schultze (Evansville, Indiana) picked up the win for the Eagles with a strong six innings of work. Schultze (1-1) allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits, while striking out a career-high nine batters.
The Eagles got three perfect innings of relief pitching from senior right-handers Taylor Dennis (Covington, Indiana) and Dan Marcacci (Jupiter, Florida). Dennis followed Schultze to the mound and struck out three in a perfect seventh and eighth inning, while Marcacci had a strikeout in a perfect ninth.
USI and UIS resume the Dunn Hospitality Tournament Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the USI Baseball Field. The Eagles' final game in the tournament will be Sunday at 5:30 p.m. versus St. Cloud State University.
