TAMPA, Fla. – A nine-run fourth inning doomed the 23rd-ranked University of Southern Indiana baseball team as it closed out a three-game series with a 15-7 loss to the second-ranked University of Tampa Sunday afternoon in Tampa, Florida. USI is 1-2 after the first series of the season, while Tampa goes to 7-2 in 2017.
 
The Screaming Eagles had the early momentum, flying out to a 5-0 lead with a five-run fourth inning. USI junior designated hitter Joe Redburn (Newburgh, Indiana) started the scoring with a three-run triple, before scoring on a single by senior rightfielder Cody Montgomery (Shepherdsville, Kentucky) to make the score, 4-0.
 
Montgomery would finish the scoring by crossing the plate on a wild pitch for the Eagles' 5-0 lead.
 
The Spartans responded with a big inning of their own in the bottom of the fourth, scoring nine times off of five USI pitchers to take a 9-5 lead. USI got one of the runs back in the top of the fifth when sophomore catcher Logan Brown (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) scored when junior leftfielder Drake McNamara (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) hit into a double-play, closing the gap to 9-6.
 
Tampa extended its lead to six runs, 12-6, with a trio of runs in the bottom of the sixth. USI, once again, chipped away at the margin with an RBI-double by Redburn in the eighth to pull to within five runs, 12-7, but Tampa sealed the victory with three more runs in the bottom half to go up by eight, 15-7.
 
Individually, Redburn led the Eagles at the plate, going two-for-four with four RBIs, one run scored, a double, and a triple. Sophomore right-hander Chase Partain (Evansville, Indiana) (0-1) took the loss in relief of senior starting right-hander Lucas Barnett (Sellersburg, Indiana).
 
The Eagles open the 2017 home campaign at the USI Baseball Field February 24 at 1 p.m. when they host Wayne State University (Michigan) to begin the Dunn Hospitality Classic.