EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team completed its first series sweep of the season by taking both ends of a doubleheader against the University of Wisconsin-Parkside with identical 6-1 scores Sunday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles saw their record go to 14-15 overall and 11-11 in the GLVC, while the Rangers finish the doubleheader 8-17, 7-15 GLVC.
 
The doubleheader sweep puts the Eagles in sole possession of third place in the GLVC East Division, a half-game ahead Saint Joseph's College and a game ahead of the University of Illinois Springfield. The 11-11 GLVC mark is the first time this year that USI has been at the .500 mark in the league.
 
USI senior right-hander Matt Chavarria (Carlsbad, New Mexico) won third-straight game on the mound and junior third baseman Trent Gunn (Tell City, Indiana) posted a pair of RBIs as the Eagles won the opener, 6-1. The Eagles also got a pair of hits by junior centerfielder Hamilton Carr (Evansville, Indiana) and junior rightfielder Kyle Kempf (Evansville, Indiana) in the victory.
 
Chavarria, who also threw his third-straight complete game, allowed one run on five hits and four walks in seven innings of work. He also struck out five batters.
 
The Eagles' offense got off the runs Chavarria would need with a pair of tallies in the opening frame. USI followed with a run in the third, two in the fifth, and one in the sixth to seal the victory.
 
In the nightcap, junior first baseman Andrew Cope (Evansville, Indiana) hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning to seal a 6-1 victory and help the Eagles complete a four-game sweep of UW-Parkside.
 
The Eagles led 2-1 after three-and-a-half frames when Cope sent his second round tripper of the year over the right field fence to give USI a 5-1 advantage. USI would add another tally in the sixth to finish the scoring in the 6-1 win.
 
On the mound, junior right-hander Tyler Nichols (Newburgh, Indiana) posted his second win of the year. Nichols (2-4) threw seven strong innings, allowing one run on seven hits. He also struck four batters in his best outing of the year.
 
USI will be on the road for the next six contests, traveling to Bellarmine University Tuesday for a noon (CDT) doubleheader and to Lewis University April 18-19 for a four-game series.
 
The Eagles lead the all-time series, 73-66, after splitting a doubleheader with the Knights April 1 at the USI Baseball Field. USI, which has won six of the last nine took the opener in exciting fashion, 8-7, in the 10^th inning on a walk-off by Kempf, but dropped the nightcap, 6-4.