EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team posted its fifth win of the year and earned a series split with the University of Missouri-St. Louis by posting a 7-4 win Sunday afternoon in St. Louis, Missouri. USI saw its records go to 5-9 overall and 2-6 in the GLVC, while UMSL finishes the day to 11-2 overall, 6-2 GLVC.
 
The Screaming Eagles got off to a good start with a tally in the opening inning when junior third baseman Trent Gunn (Tell City, Indiana) doubled in junior rightfielder Kyle Kempf (Evansville, Indiana). The 1-0 lead would hold until the bottom of the second when the Tritons knotted the game up at 1-1 and took a 2-1 lead with a tally in the third.
 
For the series at the plate, Gunn, who had two hits, a run, and a RBI today, batted .474 in the four contests (9-19) with three runs scored, three RBIs, and three doubles to lead Eagle hitters.
 
USI would take the lead back with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, 3-2, only to see UMSL match the Eagles in the bottom half of the inning move back in front, 4-3.
 
The Eagles would take the lead for good in the sixth with a pair of runs to lead, 5-4, on RBI-singles by freshman second baseman Joe Redburn (Newburgh, Indiana) and junior designated hitter Hamilton Carr (Evansville, Indiana). USI added an insurance run in the seventh on junior first baseman Andrew Cope's (Evansville, Indiana) RBI-double to make the score 6-4.
 
Freshman leftfielder Sam Griggs (Evansville, Indiana) sealed the victory for USI in the eighth with an RBI-single that gave the Eagles a three-run lead, 7-4. The Tritons would threaten in the ninth but Chavarria would shut the door on UMSL and preserve the Eagles' victory.
 
On the mound in the 7-4 victory, junior right-hander Ben Blaize (Henderson, Kentucky) picked his first win as an Eagle in relief. Blaize (1-0) posted the win after allowing two hits and two walks over two scoreless innings of work, striking out one.
 
Chavarria picked up his third save of the year and second of the weekend, pitching the final 3.1 innings. The senior scattered five hits and struck out a season-best five batters to close out the game.
 
Freshman right-hander Sean Pedley (Owensboro, Kentucky) started for the Eagles and got the no-decision.  Pedley allowed the four Triton runs, one earned, on three hits in 3.2 innings of work.
 
USI continues its eight-game road swing March 28-29 when it travels to Saint Joseph's College for a pair of doubleheaders in Rensselaer, Indiana. The next home date for USI is April 1 when Bellarmine University visits for a mid-week doubleheader and start a six-game homestand.