TULSA, Okla. – University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles were outflown by the 16^th-ranked Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles, 12-4, Friday evening in Tulsa, Oklahoma. USI watched its record go to 15-33 overall, while Oral Roberts is 38-11.
 
USI had the bats going in the first inning and grabbed its only lead of the contest, 1-0. Junior rightfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) put the Screaming Eagles into the lead with a RBI-double to left center, scoring junior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) from second.
 
The lead was short lived as the Golden Eagles scored five times in the bottom of the first to grab a 5-1 advantage. ORU would go on to score two more in the second to lead 7-1.
 
USI clawed one of the runs back in the fourth when freshman third baseman Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) doubled in designated hitter Drew Taylor (Jeffersonville, Indiana) all the way from first with two outs for the 7-2 deficit. ORU, however, bounced back to return the lead to six with a tally in the bottom half of the frame before extending the advantage to 10-2 with a pair of tallies in the sixth.
 
After the Golden Eagles extended their lead, 11-2, with a tally in the seventh, USI attempted to get back into the game with a rally in the eighth. Tachioka struck again in the eighth, knocking in a pair with his third triple of 2023, to cut the margin to 11-4.
 
ORU picked one of USI's eighth inning runs up in the bottom half before closing out a 12-4 final.
 
On the mound, junior right-hander Trent Robinson (Louisville, Kentucky) started and took the loss. Robinson (1-3), who had a great start last week versus the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, allowed five runs on three hits and three walks in a third of an inning.
 
 
Up Next for the Eagles:  
USI and Oral Roberts continue the three-game series Saturday at 2 p.m. before concluding Sunday at 1 p.m.