EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball saw its ninth inning rally fall short in a series opening loss to ninth-ranked Ashland University, 10-7, Friday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles move their record to 4-3 overall, while Ashland goes to 3-1 after the win.
Ashland cruised to a 9-0 lead after two frames, with all six runs in the second being unearned. The Ashland Eagles also scored all of the runs with two outs.
The Screaming Eagles pushed a run across in the bottom of the fourth when junior designated hitter
Aaron Euler scored on a RBI-ground out to second by freshman first baseman
Adam Wildeman. Euler had moved into scoring position after leading off with a single, advancing to second on a walk, and being sacrificed to third.
After Ashland pushed the margin back to nine runs with a tally in the fifth, USI cut the deficit to 10-3 when senior rightfielder
Manny Lopez scored on a balk and sophomore third baseman/catcher
Lucas McNew crossed the plate on double by junior pinch hitter
Bryce Krizan, but left the sacks jammed eighth.
In the ninth, the Screaming Eagles made a game of it in the ninth inning with a four-run burst and the tying run at the plate. Lopez, who started the ninth inning rally, scored on a RBI walk by senior shortstop
Kobe Stephens to make the score 10-4 and to kept the sacks jammed.
Senior first baseman
Adam North drove in two more with a double down the left field line to cut the deficit to 10-6, while Stephens scored on a wild pitch to give the game a 10-7 final.
USI senior right-hander
Austin Gossmann (0-1) started and took the loss for the Eagles, allowing nine runs, three earned, in 1.2 innings. Sophomore left-hander
Sammy Barnett stopped the bleeding by allowing only one run over 6.1 innings on three hits and three walks, while striking out a career-high eight.
USI sophomore right-hander
Luke Johnston finished the game on the mound, throwing a scoreless ninth for the Eagles, allowing a hit.
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI and Ashland continue the series Saturday at 2 p.m. before the series finale Sunday at noon.