EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball stole a school record 12 bases in the nightcap and completed a doubleheader sweep of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Sunday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles took the opener, 13-0, and had to rally with a three-run ninth win the nightcap, 10-8.
USI saw its record go to 19-12 overall and 8-4 in the GLVC, while UW-Parkside ends the day with a 5-22 mark, 1-11 GLVC.
After being held hitless for the first three innings of game one, the Eagles' bats exploded for 13 runs in the final four frames to fly by the Rangers, 13-0. USI scored all of the runs it would need in a four-run fourth before sealing the victory with two in the fifth, one in the sixth, and six in the seventh.
USI senior shortstop
Kyle Niemeier (Evansville, Indiana) and senior rightfielder
Kyle Kempf (Evansville, Indiana) led the Eagle offensive attack with three hits each and a combined five runs scored. Senior catcher
Ryan Bertram (Zionsville, Indiana) and sophomore second baseman
Sam Griggs (Evansville, Indiana) drove in two RBIs each to lead USI.
On the mound, junior right-hander
Devin Williams (Evansville, Indiana) posted his second-straight dominating start and tied teammate junior right-hander
Lucas Barnett (Sellersburg, Indiana) for the team lead with his fourth victory of the year. Williams (4-3) posted his second shutout of the year by scattering four hits and two walks while striking out a season-high nine batters.
The Eagles jumped out early in the nightcap, but had to rally late to post the 10-8 victory. USI had a 7-0 lead at the halfway point before UW-Parkside roared back to take the lead, 8-7, by the bottom of the eighth.
Sophomore leftfielder
Drake McNamara (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) put the Eagles back into the lead with a two-run single to left center to make the score 9-8 in the top of the ninth. Sophomore pinch runner/leftfielder
Buddy Johnson (Shelbyville, Kentucky) pinch ran for McNamara and sealed the victory by stealing second and third before scoring the 10
th run on a UW-Parkside throwing error.
Base running was key to the Eagles' victory in the nightcap as USI posted a record 12 thefts. Sophomore second baseman
Sam Griggs (Evansville, Indiana) led the way by tying a school record with four stolen bases.
Freshman catcher
Logan Brown (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) led USI at the plate with a team-high three RBIs in the victory, while senior centerfielder
Hamilton Carr (Evansville, Indiana) had a team-best four hits. USI senior right-hander
T.J. Decker (Brazil, Indiana) (2-0) picked up his second win of the year in relief, while junior right-hander
Nick Coudret (Newburgh, Indiana) registered his second save of the year.
Freshman right-hander
Austin Krizan (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) got the no decision after seven innings of work. Krizan allowed four runs on nine hits and one walk, while striking out two.
USI returns to the road Tuesday at 2 p.m. when the Eagles cross the Ohio River to play a single game at Kentucky Wesleyan College, which is 18-10. The Eagles hold a 95-63 all-time series lead versus the Panthers and has won the last eight after winning last year match-up, 8-3, at the USI Baseball Field.
