EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The fifth-ranked University of Southern Indiana baseball team tried to comeback from a pair of six-run deficits, but fell short in the series finale with Truman State University, 10-7, Monday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI falls to 3-7 overall and 0-4 in the GLVC, while Truman State sees its record rise to 11-2 overall, 4-0 GLVC.
The Screaming Eagles fell behind in the early innings for the third-straight game as the Bulldogs built a 7-1 advantage after three frames. USI started to come to life with a tally in the fifth, only to see Truman State re-extended its margin to six-runs, 8-6, at the seventh inning stretch.
The USI bats came to life in the bottom of the seventh and eighth, narrowing the deficit to 8-5 and 9-7. The seventh inning was highlighted by the two-run single up the middle by freshman second baseman
Sam Griggs (Evansville, Indiana), while the Eagles got RBI-doubles by senior shortstop
Matt Chavarria (Carlsbad, New Mexico) and junior third baseman
Trent Gunn (Tell City, Indiana) in the eighth.
After the Bulldogs got a tally in the top of the ninth to eventually seal the 10-7 win, USI put a pair of runners on with one out in the bottom half of the final inning, but left them stranded at first and second.
On the mound for USI, freshman right-hander
Sean Pedley (Owensboro, Kentucky) took the loss. Pedley (1-1) went three innings, allowing seven runs on nine hits.
Junior right-hander
Alex Holder (Princeton, Indiana) followed Pedley to the mound, allowing two runs on two hits and a pair of walks and striking out four in four innings of work. Chavarria finished the game on the mound for USI, allowing a run and three hits in two innings, while striking out two.
The Eagles hit the road for the next two GLVC weekends, traveling to the University of Missouri-St. Louis (March 20-22) and Saint Joseph's College (March 28-29) for a pair of four-game series. The next home date for USI is April 1 when Bellarmine University visits for a mid-week doubleheader and start a six-game homestand.
