EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball could not hold onto an early 3-0 lead and fell to Lindenwood University, 9-4, Sunday at the USI Baseball Field. USI is 14-18 overall and 4-5 OVC, while Lindenwood goes to 10-21, 4-5 OVC.
 
USI junior second baseman Lane Crowden (Jackson, Missouri) shifted the momentum early to the Screaming Eagles in the third inning. Crowden saved a run defensively in the top of third with a diving stop before leading off the bottom half of the frame with a single to start a three-run USI rally.
 
Crowden singled and scored along with senior rightfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) when sophomore shortstop Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) singled and advance to third on a two-base Lindenwood error. Niehaus would come the plate with the third run of the frame on a sacrifice fly by senior designated hitter Jack Ellis (Jeffersonville, Indiana).
 
USI would hold the 3-0 lead until the top of the fifth when Lindenwood exploded for four runs on three hits and one Eagles' error. The Lions' bats would erupt for five more runs in the eighth inning to extend Lindenwood's lead to 9-3.
 
The Eagles would get one of the runs back in the bottom of the ninth when junior third baseman Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela) hit a bomb over the right field fence to close the gap to the final score of 9-4. The home run was Van Grieken's second of the season.  
 
On the mound, junior right-hander Gavin Morris (Brazil, Indiana) started and took the loss. Morris (3-3) went 4.1 innings, allowing four runs, two earned, on five hits and two walks.
 
Up Next for the Eagles:
 
USI goes back on the road for four-straight, beginning with a non-conference visit to Saint Louis University Tuesday at 3 p.m. The Eagles resume OVC action April 12-14 at Southeast Missouri State University.  
 
SLU is 21-8 overall this spring after losing a series to Saint Joseph's University today with a 7-3 loss. The Billikens have won five of the last seven games after today's action.
 
The USI-SLU series is tied, 1-1, after the Eagles took the only meeting last year, 10-2, in St. Louis, Missouri.
 
SEMO, which is 14-17 overall and 5-3 in the OVC, is finishing a series at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock this afternoon. The Redhawks, who play at Southern Illinois University Tuesday, entered today game having lost four of the last five games.