Eagles still in hunt for GLVC Tournament berth

GAME 1 SCORE: Bellarmine 8, USI 7 (10 Innings) 
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GAME 2 SCORE: Bellarmine 7, USI 4 
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team lost a doubleheader to Bellarmine University, 8-7 in 10 innings and 7-4 in the nightcap, Friday afternoon in Louisville, Kentucky. USI goes to 29-18 overall and 18-16 in the GLVC, while Bellarmine finishes the day 25-20, 20-12 GLVC.
 
The Screaming Eagles lost a heartbreaker in the opener, losing an 8-7 decision in an extra frame. Bellarmine scored the game-winner on a two-out single by shortstop Justin Eberenz off USI junior right-hander Brandon Shaw (Cuba, Illinois), who picked up the loss for the Eagles.  Shaw (5-2), who got the Eagles out of a bases load jam in the eighth, was in his second full inning of work.
 
Eagles' sophomore right-hander Ben Wright (Evansville, Indiana) started and got the no decision. Wright allowed seven runs, four earned, on seven hits and two walks in 5.2 innings of work. He also struck out four.
 
Bridging the gap between Wright and Shaw was senior left-hander Adam Carver (Arthur, Illinois). Carver pitched two scoreless innings after getting the final out for Wright in the sixth.
 
At the plate, USI junior shortstop Matt Bowles (Mt. Washington, Kentucky) led the Eagles by going four-for-four with two runs scored and two RBIs. Bowles tied the score 3-3 with an RBI-single in the fourth that complete an Eagle comeback from a 3-0 hole. He gave the Eagles a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth with a RBI-triple, but the Knights responded with four runs in the bottom half and took a 7-4 advantage.
 
USI freshman centerfielder Kyle Kempf (Evansville, Indiana) also had three hits, including an RBI-single to knotted the score at 7-7 in the eighth and forced the extra inning.
 
In the night cap, the Knights jump out to an early lead again with a three-run rally in the third inning, extended the lead to four runs with a three-run rally in the fifth, and sealed USI's fate with a single tally in the sixth as Bellarmine posted the 7-4 win.
 
USI tried to rally from behind twice in the nightcap. The Eagles cut the 3-0 deficit to 3-2 when freshman catcher Ryan Bertram (Zionsville, Indiana) singled in two runs in the top of the fourth. Senior designated hitter Brent Weinzapfel (Evansville, Indiana) chopped the Knight's 6-2 fifth inning lead to 6-4 with a two-run double, but that would be as close as USI would come in the nightcap.
 
On the mound, USI junior right-hander David Toth (Danville, Indiana) took the loss in game two. Toth (6-4) allowed six runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings of work. Sophomore right-hander Craig Austin (Evansville, Indiana) followed Toth to the mound, allowing a run on four hits, before Carver finished game.
 
USI and Bellarmine are slated to finish the regular season and the four-game series with an 11 a.m. (CDT) single-games Saturday and Sunday. The Eagles need a pair of victories in the final two games, plus the University of Indianapolis to lose three of the four-game series with Lewis University; and/or Maryville University to splits its four-game series with the University of Illinois Springfield; and/or Missouri University of Science & Technology to lose all four games in its series with Rockhurst University.