LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team earned a split Friday afternoon, defeating Alderson Broaddus University, 8-1, and losing a non-conference game with Bellarmine University, 6-1, in Louisville, Kentucky. USI ends the day with a 6-7 overall record, while ABU goes to 2-7 and Bellarmine concludes the afternoon, 7-5.
Game 1: USI vs. Alderson Broaddus
The Screaming Eagles scored five times in the seventh inning to seal an 8-1 victory over ABU in USI's opening game Friday.
After spotting the Battlers a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, the Eagles scored a tally in the bottom of the third, fourth, and fifth to post a 3-1 lead. USI put the victory away in the bottom of the seventh when they plated five runs on four hits, including a back-to-back-to-back doubles by senior rightfielder
Buddy Johnson (Shelbyville, Kentucky), junior catcher
Logan Brown (Mt. Vernon, Indiana), and senior third baseman
Sam Griggs (Mt. Vernon, Indiana).
Johnson drove in a team-high three RBIs in the win and joined three other Eagles with two hits each.
Senior right-hander
Kyle Griffin (Morgantown, Kentucky) picked up the win for the Eagles. Griffin (1-1) went six innings, allowing one run on four hits and struck out five. Sophomore right-hander
Tyler Hagedorn (Evansville, Indiana) followed Griffin to the mound with a scoreless inning, while sophomore right-hander
Jacob Bowles (Mt. Washington, Kentucky) finished the contest with a scoreless eighth and ninth.
Game 2: USI vs. Bellarmine
The Eagles allowed six unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings in dropping the nightcap to the Bellarmine Knights, 6-1. USI and Bellarmine were scoreless until the Knights scored twice in the sixth and sealed the victory with four in the seventh.
USI broke up the shutout in the top of the ninth when senior leftfielder
Drake McNamara (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) doubled in junior second baseman
Jacob Fleming (Evansville, Indiana) for the Eagles only tally of the nightcap. McNamara and senior first baseman
Nick Gobert (Jasper, Indiana) tied for the team-high with two hits each versus Bellarmine.
USI junior right-handed starter
Austin Krizan (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) took the loss after battling through five-plus innings. Krizan (1-1) allowed one run on nine hits and two walks, while striking out four.
The Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field next weekend when they host Quincy University for a three-game series. The series is scheduled for Friday at 5 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m.; and Sunday at noon.
The Hawks, who host the University of Wisconsin-Parkside for a two-game series today and Saturday, are 5-5 to start the 2018 campaign. USI trails the all-time series with Quincy, 40-36, after taking two of three from the Hawks last year in Quincy, Illinois.
