EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team finished its eight-game road trip with a doubleheader split at Saint Joseph's College Monday afternoon in Rensselaer, Indiana. The Screaming Eagles took game one, 3-1, but stumbled in the nightcap, 6-5.
 
USI saw its records go to 6-12 overall and 3-9 in the GLVC, while Saint Joseph's finishes the day 9-11-1 overall, 5-6-1 GLVC.
 
In the opening game, senior right-hander Matt Chavarria (Carlsbad, New Mexico) threw his first complete game in his first career start and struck out a career-high nine batters to lead the Eagles to a 3-1 victory. Chavarria (2-2) allowed one run on four hits and six walks through seven innings of work.
 
USI jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning when junior third baseman Trent Gunn (Tell City, Indiana) drove in a pair of runs with a single to left field. The RBIs move Gunn into the number two spot on the team with 10, following Chavarria who has a team-best 15 RBIs this spring.    
 
After the Pumas cut the 2-0 lead in half with a tally in the bottom half of the third, USI added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when junior leftfielder Jaylen Quarles (Indianapolis, Indianapolis) drove in junior pinch runner/second baseman Kyle Niemeier (Evansville, Indiana) with a single to center field.
 
In the nightcap, the Eagles and Pumas battled back and forth before Saint Joseph's scored three runs in the sixth and held on to win, 6-5. The Eagles, trailing 6-4, tried to rally, but fell short after scoring one in the eighth and leaving the tying run on in the ninth.
 
USI opened the scoring with a run in the second and would hold leads of 3-2 and 4-3 before the decisive rally by Saint Joseph's in the sixth.
 
Junior centerfielder Hamilton Carr (Evansville, Indiana) led the USI hitters in the nightcap with three hits, while Chavarria and senior leftfielder Tyler Mikrut (Edwardsville, Illinois) had a pair of hits each. Junior rightfielder Kyle Kempf (Evansville, Indiana) had the big hit in the nightcap, blasting his second home run of the year.
 
On the mound, senior right-hander Scott Haag (Ft. Wayne, Indiana) took the loss in relief. Haag (0-1) allowed four runs, three earned, in four innings of work, allowing seven hits and striking out three.
 
Junior right-hander Alex Holder (Princeton, Indiana) started for the Eagles, going the first 1.1 innings. Holder allowed two runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out two.
 
The Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field to start a six-game homestand, beginning with Bellarmine University Wednesday. The homestand continues Friday and Saturday when USI hosts the University of Indianapolis for a pair of noon doubleheaders.