EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team posted a doubleheader split with Drury University and salvaged a victory in the three-game series Friday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles, who go to 4-8 overall, lost the opening game, 4-3, but won the nightcap, 12-3, over the Panthers, who went to 9-6 this spring.  
 
Game One:
The Eagles gave up the lead run in the top of the eighth and drop the opening game of the doubleheader, 4-3. USI left eight runners on base during the game, including a pair in the bottom half of the eighth.
 
USI junior leftfielder Drake McNamara (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) led the Eagles at the plate with a pair of hits and a run scored. Junior rightfielder Nick Gobert (Jasper, Indiana) followed with a hit and two RBIs, while junior first baseman Nathan Kuester (Rockport, Indiana) added a hit and drove in a run.
 
On the mound, junior right-hander Kyle Griffin (Morganfield, Kentucky) provided the Eagles with a solid start, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits. Griffin, who earned a no-decision, also struck out nine in seven innings of work.
 
Freshman right-hander Tyler Hagedorn (Evansville, Indiana) took the loss in relief for the Eagles. Hagedorn (0-1) allowed a run in a third of an inning of work.
 
Game Two:
McNamara hit a two-run shot in the second and a three-run blast in the third to lead the Eagles to a game two victory, 12-3. The junior leftfielder finished the game two-for-four with five RBIs, two run scored, and two home runs
 
In addition to McNamara, freshman centerfielder Spenser Deom (Tell City, Indiana) and junior third baseman Sam Griggs (Evansville, Indiana) added pair of RBIs each. Deom completed the nightcap two-for-four with two runs scored and a double, while Griggs was one-for-four.
 
On the mound, senior right-hander Lucas Barnett (Sellersburg, Indiana) got his first win of 2017 in seven innings of work. Barnett (1-0) allowed two unearned runs on six hits, striking out six.
 
Following Barnet to the mound was Hagedorn, who allowed a run on two hits in his only inning of work, and sophomore right-hander Chase Partain (Evansville, Indiana), who finished the game for the Eagles by striking out the three of the four batters he faced.
 
USI won't return to action until next weekend when it travels to Quincy University for a three-game non-conference series March 17-19. The Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field March 22 when they host the University of Missouri-St. Louis for a non-conference match-up.
 
Coverage for all of USI Baseball can be found on GoUSIEagles.com.