WESTFIELD, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball dropped its opening game of the GLVC Tournament to Truman State University, 7-2, Thursday afternoon at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana. The Screaming Eagles, who appeared in the NCAA II Midwest Regional ranking for the first time this spring in a tie for eighth, saw their record fall to 26-20 overall, while the Bulldogs go to 31-18.
 
The loss forces the fifth-seeded Eagles to play an elimination game this evening against the loser of the eighth-seeded Missouri University of Science & Technology and top-seeded Quincy University game at 5 p.m. (CDT). Fourth-seeded Truman State will play the winner of the Missouri S&T-Quincy contest at 1 p.m. Friday.
 
In the tournament opening game, USI fell behind early as Truman State scored six times (four in the second and two in the third) in the first three innings to lead 6-0. The Eagles got on the scoreboard on a RBI-ground out by freshman designated hitter Drake McNamara (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) to cut the deficit to 6-1.
 
Junior rightfielder Kyle Kempf (Evansville, Indiana) scored on the ground out after doubling and moving to third on a single by junior third baseman Trent Gunn (Tell City, Indiana).
 
After the Bulldogs re-extended the lead to six runs, 7-1, with a tally in the fourth, USI pulled back to within five runs, 7-2, on a blast to left field by junior catcher Ryan Bertram (Zionsville, Indiana). The home run was Bertram's second of the year.
 
On the mound, senior right-hander Ben Wright (Newburgh, Indiana) took the loss for the Eagles. Wright (4-6) went four innings, allowing seven runs, five earned, on nine hits, striking out one.