ST. LOUIS, Mo. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball dropped the opener of a four-game series at Maryville University, 6-3, Friday afternoon in St. Louis, Missouri. The Screaming Eagles go to 4-11 overall and 2-7 in the GLVC, after today's action, while Maryville is 7-7 overall, 5-2 GLVC.
USI struck first in the contest, getting a pair of runs in the top of the second. Freshman first baseman
Adam Wildeman knocked in the first tally of the inning with a RBI-single to left center, driving in freshman third baseman
Michael Conner from third, to make the score, 1-0. Conner had doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a single by senior designated hitter
Manny Lopez.
Senior catcher
Wyatt Daly made the score 2-0 in the second when the Eagles successfully executed a squeeze play to score Lopez.
The Saints, however, would erase the Eagles' advantage with six unanswered runs to take a 6-2 lead. Maryville tied the game with two in the bottom of the second; took the lead with two in the third; and sealed its victory with two in the fifth.
USI senior designated hitter
Manny Lopez put the Eagles back into the scoring column in the ninth when he blasted his second home run of the season to finish out the scoring in the 6-3 loss.
On the mound, senior right-hander
Austin Gossman picked up the loss for the Eagles. Gossman (2-3) allowed six runs, four earned, on eight hits and a walk, while tying a season-high with eight strikeouts.
Up Next for the Eagles:
The Eagles and the Saints continue the four-game series Saturday with a doubleheader at Maryville. The twin bill has a first pitch set for 11 a.m.
USI-UMSL series moved up next week:
The Eagles return home next weekend for a four-game series with the University of Missouri-St. Louis
April 1-3 at the USI Baseball. The series, which was originally slated for April 2-4, was moved up due to the Easter holiday. Live coverage can be accessed through
GoUSIEagles.com.
The time for the first pitch is 6 p.m. April 1; 2 p.m. April 2 (doubleheader); and noon April 3.
USI leads the all-time series with UMSL, 57-42, after sweeping a three-game series at the USI Baseball Field in 2019. The Eagles outscored the Tritons, 36-18, in sweeping the series in 2019.