SAUGET, Ill. – The top-seeded University of Southern Indiana baseball team bowed out of the GLVC Tournament after dropping an 8-7 decision to fourth-seeded Quincy University Saturday night in Sauget, Illinois. The Screaming Eagles fall to 37-17, while the Hawks advance to the GLVC Tournament championship game with a 34-18 mark.

 

Quincy plays third-seeded Northern Kentucky University for the GLVC title at 9 a.m. Sunday morning.

 

USI could not get the offense going early as Quincy built a 5-0 lead after three-and-a-half innings. The Eagles cut the deficit to 5-2 with a RBI single by senior first baseman Adam Enright (Hammond, Indiana) in the bottom of the fourth and a RBI ground out by senior centerfielder Justin Blinn (Vincennes, Indiana) in the bottom of the fifth.

 

Enright's single extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games. The senior is hitting .358 (19-53) during the hitting streak that is the longest of the season by an Eagle.

 

Quincy re-extended the lead to 8-2 with a three run seventh, but USI bounced back with three-runs its own in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 8-5. Senior designated Tyler Choate (Carmi, Illinois) drove in one run with a double to cut the deficit to four, while senior leftfielder Michael Huling (South Bend, Indiana) pushed a pair across the plate with a two-run double that lowered the margin to three.

 

 USI knocked the Quincy lead down to one in the bottom of the eighth when junior shortstop Brad Vance (Louisville, Kentucky) drove in a pair of runs with a bases-loaded double to make the score, 8-7. The Eagles, however, would leave the bases loaded to set the stage for the ninth.

 

In the final frame, Enright led off the ninth with a double, but junior pinch runner Benshell Garcia (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was doubled-off second base after a fly out by junior third baseman Ryan Kaczmarski (Mishawaka, Indiana). USI would put the next two runners on base, but left them stranded when Blinn fouled out to end the game.

 

The Eagles, who entered the GLVC Tournament ranked second in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region, will receive word on their at-large berth and destination for the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Sunday night at 9 p.m. The regional are May 19-22.

 

Fans can watch the NCAA Division II Baseball Selection Show on NCAA.com.