EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 16th-ranked University of Southern Indiana baseball team split a doubleheader with Northern Kentucky University Saturday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. NKU took game one, 8-1, but USI bounced back to win the nightcap, 4-2.
USI finishes the day with a 20-9 overall record and 12-3 in the GLVC, while NKU goes to 16-14 overall, 6-9 GLVC.
The Screaming Eagles struck first in the nightcap with a pair of runs in the second innings. USI senior designated hitter
Tyler Choate (Carmi, Illinois) doubled to start the rally and scored the first run of the game on a RBI triple by senior leftfielder
Michael Huling (South Bend, Indiana).
Huling made the score 2-0 in favor of the Eagles when he crossed the plate on a single up the middle by junior third baseman
Ryan Kaczmarski (Mishawaka, Indiana).
The Norse rallied to knot the game at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the fifth innings, but the Eagles responded with runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth. Senior first baseman
Adam Enright (Hammond, Indiana) gave USI the lead back for good in the fifth when he scored on an error, while Huling made the score 4-2 after doubling and scoring on a sacrifice fly by junior catcher
Jarrod Rose (Mishawaka, Indiana).
USI senior right-hander
Taylor Dennis (Covington, Indiana) dominated on the mound in throwing his first complete game of the year. Dennis (4-1) picked up his fourth win of the spring by allowing two unearned runs on five hits. He also struck out four NKU batters.
In the opener, the Norse scored in five of the seven innings to defeat the Eagles. The loss also snapped USI's five-game winning streak.
NKU broke the game open with a four-run second and sealed the victory with single tallies in the third, fourth, fifth, and seventh. USI's lone run came in the bottom of the second when junior rightfielder
Bryan Chestnut (West Terre Haute, Indiana) scored on a RBI single by Rose.
USI junior right-hander
Josh Schultze (Evansville, Indiana) took the loss for the Eagles. Schultze (3-3) went three-plus innings, allowing six runs on nine hits and striking out two.
The fourth contest in the USI-NKU four-game series Sunday at the USI Baseball Field. The first pitch is scheduled for noon.
