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SCORES: USI 6, KWC 5
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to defeat Kentucky Wesleyan College, 6-5, Wednesday night at the USI Baseball Field. USI sees its record go to 20-17 overall and 11-13 in the GLVC, while KWC goes to 14-22, 8-14 GLVC.
After spotting the Panthers a 2-0 lead in the first inning, the Screaming Eagles came back to tie the game, 2-2, with a tally in the bottom of the first and the second on RBI singles by senior shortstop
Brad Vance (Louisville, Kentucky) and junior rightfielder
B.J. Willis (Cincinnati, Ohio). The score would remain 2-2 until the Panthers took a 5-2 lead with a run in the fourth and two runs in the sixth.
USI began to chip away at the deficit in the seventh when senior designated hitter
Dylan Mooney (St. Charles, Missouri) scored on a wild pitch to cut the KWC lead to 5-3 and set the stage for the eighth inning. Mooney had moved into scoring position after singling, moving to second on a fielder's choice, and advancing to third on a base hit by Willis.
In the eighth inning game-winning rally, Vance doubled to lead off the inning and scored when sophomore first baseman
Brent Weinzapfel (Evansville, Indiana) tripled to right center. Weinzapfel evened the score at 5-5 when he crossed the plate two batters later with the tying run on a RBI single up the middle by Mooney.
Mooney moved to third on a single to right by senior second baseman
Ryan Kaczmarski (Mishawaka, Indiana) and scored the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly by Willis.
In the KWC half of the ninth, USI sophomore right-hander
Jim Mulvaney (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) got the first out and gave way to senior left-hander
Scott Cole (Patrick, Virginia) after Panther first baseman Randy Villa picked up his fifth hit of the game. Cole ended the game and earned his second save of the year by striking out KWC centerfielder Jordan White and picked off sophomore pinch runner Dan Cannon off first base.
Mulvaney (2-1) picked up the win for USI in relief, allowing only two hits in 2.1 innings of work. Freshman right-hander
Ben Wright (Newburgh, Indiana) started the game for USI and allowed three runs and five hits in three innings of work, while senior right-hander
Silas Dill (Bernie, Missouri) pitched 2.1 innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits.
USI junior left-hander
Adam Carver (Arthur, Illinois) got the final two outs of the sixth to limit the Panthers' rally to two runs and set the stage for the USI comeback.
The Eagles continue the homestand this weekend when they host the Flyers of Lewis University for a pair of doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday. The first pitch for Saturday's twinbill is 2 p.m., while Sunday's is slated for a noon start.
