LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball could not hold off the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and lost 11-9 Friday evening in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Screaming Eagles are 22-28 overall and 11-11 OVC, while Trojans go to 27-21, 14-8 OVC.
With the loss, USI falls to sixth in the OVC standings. The Eagles also remain a game behind fifth-place University of Tennessee at Martin and two games Tennessee Tech University with five conference games remaining.
USI struck first in the opening game of the series, taking a 1-0 lead in the first frame. USI junior second baseman
Thomas Emerich (Ava, Missouri) laced a double to right field to score senior first baseman
Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) from second base.
The lead would remain 1-0 until the fourth inning when the Trojans pushed a pair across the plate for a 2-1 lead. USI responded to regain the lead, 4-2, with three runs in the top of the fifth.
USI junior centerfielder
Terrick Thompson-Allen (Sioux, Iowa) scored from second and senior rightfielder
Ren Tachioka (Japan) raced around the diamond from first when junior third baseman
Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela) reached on a sacrifice bunt and throwing error. Van Grieken would come home to roost for the fourth run of the game and third of the frame on a sacrifice fly Emerich.
Little Rock would take its turn at the lead, 8-4, after posting a run in the bottom of the fifth and five in the bottom of the sixth. The Trojans scored all five of their runs in the sixth with two outs.
The Eagles flew back into the lead in the top of the seventh, 9-8, with a five-run frame of their own. Ebest started the rally with an RBI-single before sophomore second baseman
Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) and junior leftfielder
Adam Euler (Evansville, Indiana) forced in a run each with bases-loaded walks. Junior catcher
Logan Mock (Livermore, California) finished the scored in the frame with a two-run single to right.
Little Rock bounced back once again to get the lead, 10-9, with a pair of tallies in the bottom of the seventh. The Trojans added to the lead with another run in the eighth to seal the 11-9 decision.
USI junior right-hander
Peyton Brown (Clemmons, North Carolina) took the loss in relief. Brown (1-2) allowed three runs on four hits and one walk, while striking out three in two innings of work.
The Eagles started with junior right-hander
Gavin Morris (Brazil, Indiana) on the bump. Morris threw the first 5.2 innings, allowing seven runs on 11 hits and a walk.
Up Next for the Eagles:
The Eagles and the Trojans continue the three-game series Saturday at 4 p.m. before concluding Sunday at 1 p.m.
Coming up this month:
The final series of the season will be Alumni Weekend when USI hosts Western Illinois University (May 16-18). The Eagles will have Senior Day and will honor the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship team prior to the 1 p.m. game May 18.
