EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team broke its five-game losing streak, but ended its doubleheader at the University of Missouri-St. Louis with a split Saturday afternoon in St. Louis, Missouri. The Screaming Eagles took the opening game, 8-4, while the Tritons took the nightcap in a close game, 4-3.
 
USI saw its records go to 4-9 overall and 1-6 in the GLVC, while UMSL finishes the day to 11-1 overall, 6-1 GLVC.
 
The Eagles ended their losing streak in the opening game with a comeback 8-4 win. USI tried to take control in the first frame of game one, plating a pair of runs to take a 2-0 lead.
 
UMSL, however, responded with a four-spot in the bottom half of the inning, putting USI in a 4-2 hole. The Eagles would rally back in the next inning, tying the game 4-4 when senior catcher Austin Edge (Whitesville, Kentucky) scored on an infield hit by senior designated hitter Hamilton Carr (Evansville, Indiana).
 
USI would take the lead for good in the top of the third, pushing across a trio of runs to take a 7-4 lead. Freshman leftfielder Sam Griggs (Evansville, Indiana), who singled to start the third and moved to second on a sacrifice, scored the eventual game-winning run when Edge reached on an error.

Edge would cross the plate with the Eagles' sixth tally of the game on a RBI-single by freshman Joe Redburn (Newburgh, Indiana), while Chavarria would knock in Redburn with an RBI-single of his own.
 
The Eagles finished the scoring in game one with an insurance run in the top of the seventh to give the contest the eventual 8-4 final score. Griggs scored his second run of the game on an RBI-single down the left field line by senior rightfielder Kyle Kempf (Evansville, Indiana). Kempf had a team-high two RBIs in the victory.
 
On the mound, junior right-hander Tyler Nichols (Newburgh, Indiana) picked up his first victory of the season. Nichols (1-2) allowed the four first inning runs and limited UMSL to five total hits and three walks, while striking out five in six-plus innings of work.
 
Chavarria would relieve Nichols with one on in the seven, setting down the final three Tritons for his second save of the season.
 
In the nightcap, USI had three one-run leads in the contest, but a ninth inning throwing error gave the Tritons a 4-3 victory. The winning run crossed the plate for the Tritons when Redburn committed a throwing with one out and two UMSL runners aboard.
 
The Eagles jumped out in front for the third-straight game, leading 1-0 through three innings on a RBI-single by senior centerfielder Tyler Mikrut (Edwardsville, Illinois) in the top of the third. The 1-0 lead would last one inning as the Triton knotted the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth.
 
USI, for the second time in the contest, took a one run lead, 2-1, this time on doubles by Carr and Gunn in the fifth inning. The slim lead would last two innings until UMSL pushed the tying run across in the bottom of the seventh.
 
The Eagles took a one run lead for a third time in the contest with a tally in the top of the eighth. Junior infielder Kyle Niemeier (Evansville, Indiana) gave USI the lead back on a two-out RBI single, scoring Griggs.
 
The one-tally advantage did not last long as the Tritons got the equalizer in the bottom of the eighth and set the stage in the ninth.
 
The loss went to Chavarria (1-2) in relief. The senior closer allowed the unearned ninth inning run, allowing two hits, one in the ninth, and struck out two in two frames of work.
 
Junior right-hander Alex Holder (Princeton, Indiana) started and got the no-decision for USI. Holder went the first 6.1 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits. He also struck out a pair of batters.
 
Holder was followed to the mound by senior right-hander Andrew Mercer (Mt. Pearl, Newfoundland) and sophomore right-hander Lucas Barnett (Sellersburg, Indiana), who threw two-thirds of an inning each. Mercer allowed an inherited runner to score in the seventh, while Barnett permitted UMSL's third run in the eighth.
 
Overall at the plate today, Gunn had five hits and a pair of RBIs in the doubleheader. Kempf, and Mikrut also had a pair of RBIs in the two games.
 
The Eagles and the Tritons conclude the four-game series Sunday with a noon single-game first pitch.