EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The second ranked University of Southern Indiana baseball team battled back from a five-run deficit but had it home opener spoiled by Oakland City University, 7-5, Monday evening at the USI Baseball Field. USI goes to 1-3, while Oakland City starts the spring 1-0.
The Screaming Eagles spotted the Mighty Oaks a 5-0 lead after two innings as senior right-handed pitcher
Ben Wright (Newburgh, Indiana) allowed five runs on five hits, including a four-run second frame. USI, however, would battle back into the contest.
The Eagles would get onto the scoreboard with a pair of tallies in the bottom of the third and cut the deficit to 5-2. USI got its first run on an error by the Mighty Oaks, while the second came on a RBI-single by junior third baseball
Trent Gunn (Tell City, Indiana).
Junior rightfielder
Kyle Kempf (Evansville, Indiana) pulled USI to within 5-3 with a sacrifice fly in the seventh and propelled the Eagles into a game-tying eighth inning.
The Eagles got the equalizing runs when junior catcher
Ryan Bertram (Zionsville, Indiana) scored on ground out by freshman infielder
Joe Redburn (Newburgh, Indiana) and steal of home by freshman pinch runner
Deshaun Johnson (Shelbyville, Kentucky) on a double-steal with junior centerfielder
Hamilton Carr (Evansville, Indiana).
The Mighty Oaks responded in the top of the ninth with a pair of runs off USI senior shortstop/reliever
Matt Chavarria (Carlsbad, New Mexico), who took the loss on the mound. Chavarria (0-1) allowed two runs, one earned in the ninth off of a walk, a hit, and a pair of Eagle errors.
Offensively for the Eagles, Kempf and Bertram led the way with three hits each. Chavarria also got a pair of hits for USI in the home opener.
In addition to Wright and Chavarria on the mound, junior right-hander
Tyler Nichols (Newburgh, Indiana) threw three scoreless innings in relief of Wright, while sophomore right-hander
Lucas Barnett (Sellersburg, Indiana) also posted three scoreless.
The Eagles resume the homestand Tuesday at 4 p.m. and Wednesday at 1 p.m. when they host Notre Dame College (Ohio) for a two-game series at the USI Baseball Field. The two-game set will be the season-opener for the Falcons, who have seen all eight of its games cancelled to start the year.
