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SCORES: Game 1: USI 6, LU 4 | Game 2: LU 3, USI 2
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team battled Lewis University to a doubleheader split Saturday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles took the opener, 6-4, but lost a heartbreaker, 3-2, in the nightcap. USI sees its record go to 21-18 overall and 12-14 in the GLVC, while Lewis goes to 27-12, 17-9 GLVC.
The Eagles used a four-run fourth inning and two runs in the sixth inning to defeat the Flyers, 6-4, in the opening game of the doubleheader.
After spotting the Flyers a 1-0 first inning lead, the Eagles did not get the offense going until the fourth. USI took the lead when junior third baseman
Reece Rounder (Evansville, Indiana) doubled to left center, scoring senior shortstop
Brad Vance (Louisville, Kentucky) and junior catcher
Colton White (Springfield, Illinois) and giving the Eagles a 2-1 advantage.
After Rounder advanced to third on an error during a failed pick-off attempt, senior designated hitter
Dylan Mooney (St. Charles, Missouri) singled in Rounder to increase the lead to 3-1. Mooney would steal second, advance to third on an error, and scored the fourth run of the inning on a single up the middle by senior second baseman
Ryan Kaczmarski (Mishawaka, Indiana).
The Flyers rallied to cut the Eagles' lead to 4-3 in the top of the seventh, but USI responded with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run home run by senior leftfielder
Brennan Malham (Auburn, Illinois). The home run was Malham's first as an Eagle.
Lewis picked up a run in the ninth, but stranded the tying runs on base to end the game, 6-4.
On the mound, the Eagles received a strong outing by senior left-hander
Scott Cole (Patrick, Virginia). Cole (5-2) allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits and six walks, while striking out five batters in eight-plus innings of work.
The USI bullpen pieced together the final inning with senior right-hander
Silas Dill (Bernie, Missouri), junior left-hander
Adam Carver (Arthur, Illinois), and junior right-hander
Matthew Davidson (St. Charles, Missouri) getting one out each. Davidson got the final out and earned his team-high fourth save of the season.
In the nightcap, the Flyers rallied with two runs in the top of the seventh to defeat the Eagles, 3-2. The teams were scoreless through the first three innings of game two before Lewis scored a run in the top of the fourth. USI did not respond until the bottom of the sixth when it took a brief 2-1 lead on a two run single by Mooney.
Mooney was the only Eagle with two hits in the nightcap to go along with his two RBIs.
Davidson (1-1) took the loss for the Eagles in relief after Carver started the seventh for USI. Freshman right-hander
Ben Wright (Newburgh, Indiana) started for USI and went the first five innings. Wright allowed one run on four hits, while striking out three.
The Eagles and the Flyers conclude the four-game series with a twinbill Sunday at noon. The homestand comes to a conclusion for USI Tuesday when it hosts Oakland City University for a 6 p.m. single game.
