EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team took both ends of a doubleheader, 4-1 and 7-3, to complete a four-game sweep of McKendree University Saturday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI watched its record go to 21-14 overall and 13-3 in the GLVC, while McKendree goes to 11-25, 1-15 GLVC.
The victories also give USI a two-game lead in the GLVC East Division over second place University of Illinois Springfield (11-5 GLVC).
The Screaming Eagles scored two in the third and two in the fourth before closing out a 4-1 victory in the opener. Senior right-hander
Colin Nowak (Carol Stream, Illinois) led the way in the opener and picked up his fourth victory of 2017.
Nowak (4-3) posted the complete game win by allowing one run on four hits and a walk, while striking out two in seven innings of work. The complete game was Nowak's second of the year.
At the plate, sophomore catcher
Logan Brown (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) had two of USI's three hits and drove in a run to lead the Eagle hitters. Junior leftfielder
Drake McNamara (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) and sophomore centerfielder
Buddy Johnson (Shelbyville, Kentucky) also had RBIs for the Eagles in the win.
In the nightcap, the Eagles jumped out to a 7-0 lead after six innings and cruised to a 7-3 win. USI scored one in the second and third, four in the fourth, and one in the sixth for all of the offense in game two.
Junior rightfielder
Nick Gobert (Jasper, Indiana) led the offensive attack with a two-for-three nightcap, including two runs scored, two RBIs, and his first home run of the season. Gobert hit his first USI round-tripper in the sixth inning to round out the game two scoring.
On the mound, sophomore right-hander
Austin Krizan (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) went seven strong innings to get his third win of the spring. Krizan scattered three hits and a walk, while striking out four in getting his complete game and shutout of the year.
The Eagles finish their five-game homestand Tuesday when they host Kentucky Wesleyan College for a 6 p.m. contest. USI leads the all-time series, 95-64, after KWC took the only meeting in Owensboro, Kentucky, 13-7, last year. The Eagles have won five of the last six meeting since 2013.
For live coverage of USI Baseball, visit GoUSIEagles.com.
