USI and Illinois Springfield complete series at 9 a.m. Monday

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team fells short on both ends of the Great Lakes Valley Conference opening doubleheader with the 25^th-ranked University of Illinois Springfield, 14-3 and 4-2, Sunday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI watches its record go to 8-11 overall and 0-2 in the GLVC, while Illinois Springfield goes to 19-4 in 2018, 2-0 GLVC.  
 
The Eagles and the Stars return to action at 9 a.m. Monday for a doubleheader to complete the four-game series at the USI Baseball Field.
 
Game 1:
The Screaming Eagles stumbled in the opening game, 14-3, as the Stars sealed the victory with a five-run sixth and a six-run ninth. USI avoided the shutout with a pair of runs in the seventh and one in the eighth.
 
USI senior leftfielder Buddy Johnson (Shelbyville, Kentucky) led the Eagle hitters with a pair of hits and two RBIs. Freshman centerfielder Bryce Krizan (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) had a hit and the other Eagle RBI in the opener.
 
On the mound, USI senior right-hander Devin Williams (Evansville, Indiana) was strong for five innings before being knocked out in the sixth. Williams (1-3) allowed five runs on six hits and four walks, while striking out seven in 5.1 innings of work.
 
Game 2:
USI was limited to one hit in the 4-2 nightcap loss to Illinois Springfield. The Eagles' lone hit was a home run off the bat of freshman third baseman Brodie Brown (Carmi, Illinois) in the bottom of the third.
 
The home run was Eagles' third of the season and Brown's first as a USI Eagle.
 
Illinois Springfield took command with a 3-0 lead, scoring one in the first and two in the third before Brown's third inning blast to left. The Stars added a run in the fifth before the Eagles narrowed the gap to 4-2 in the seventh when senior rightfielder Nick Gobert (Jasper, Indiana) scored on a ground out by senior leftfielder Buddy Johnson. USI left a runner on third in the final frame and not able to get any closer than the 4-2 nightcap final.
 
On the bump, senior right-hander Kyle Griffin (Morgantown, Kentucky) took the loss. Griffin (2-2) allowed four runs, three earned, on three hits and three walks, while striking out six in seven innings.