CARBONDALE, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball ended its road trip with a loss at Southern Illinois University, 14-3, Tuesday afternoon in Carbondale, Illinois. USI watched its record go to 15-29 overall, while SIU is 25-20 this spring.
The Screaming Eagles got off to a good start, posting a 1-0 lead after one and a 2-1 advantage after the top of the second. USI senior second baseman
Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) put the Eagles on the scoreboard first, 1-0, with a RBI-single.
After SIU knotted the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first, USI sophomore shortstop
Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela) put the Eagles back into the lead, 2-1, with a bases loaded walk. The Salukis responded with a seven-run bottom of the second to take the lead for good in the contest, 8-2.
SIU increased the USI deficit to 12-2 with a four-run third before USI could get back on the scoreboard. Junior leftfielder
Drew Taylor (Jeffersonville, Indiana) hit his third home run of the season to pull the Eagles within 12-3 after four innings. That would be as close as the Eagles would come in the final frames as the Salukis closed out the scoring with a tally in the fifth and the sixth for the 14-3 final.
On the bump, sophomore right-hander
Gavin Seebold (Jeffersonville, Indiana) took the loss. Seebold (2-4) allowed seven runs, six earned, on five hits in 1.2 innings of work.
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI comes home to start a four-game homestand Wednesday when it hosts Miami University (Ohio) for 6 p.m. contest. The first 75 students with a valid USI ID at the USI Baseball Field for the USI-Miami game will receive a free AZZIP pizza coupon.
The Redhawks come to the USI Baseball Field with a 15-31 overall record this spring and are 5-5 in their last 10 games. Wednesday's matchup will be the first meeting between USI and Miami in baseball.
The four-game homestand concludes with USI Alumni Weekend May 5-7 when the Eagles host the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series. Friday is 6 p.m. first pitch before the series continues Saturday with a 2 p.m. start; and concludes with Senior Day Sunday at noon.
The Eagles, who are 6-12 in the OVC, and the Trojans, who are 25-16 overall and 10-5 in the OVC, will meeting for the first time in the history of the two programs.
