BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball came back from a five-run deficit to defeat Cal State Bakersfield, 6-5, Saturday afternoon in Bakersfield, California. USI is 1-1 to start the season, while Bakersfield is 1-1 to begin its season.
For the second day in a row, the Screaming Eagles spotted the Roadrunners a large lead, but this time completed the comeback for the victory. Bakersfield scored five times in the first two innings to lead, 5-0, before USI's bats exploded in the top of the fourth.
After USI loaded the bases to start the fourth, the Screaming Eagles took advantage of an error when graduate centerfielder
Khi Holiday reached to score a pair of runs and cut the deficit to 5-2. Junior third baseman
Parker Martin pushed USI's third run across with a sacrifice fly, while senior first baseman
Patrick McLellan doubled in the fourth tally to pull USI to within 5-4.
Graduate rightfielder
Jesse Velders kept the fourth inning rally going with a double to left to tie the game at 5-5. Senior shortstop
Clayton Slack capped off the rally and gave USI a 6-5 lead with a single to left field.
USI increased the lead to 7-5 in the ninth when junior designated hitter
Collin Senior knocked in Slack with a groundout.
Slack and Senior led the Eagles for the game at the plate with three hits each. Slack also had a RBI, while Senior scored a run and drove in another.
On the mound for USI, sophomore right-hander
Caydon Laird (1-0) posted the Screaming Eagles' first win of the year. Laird threw two-thirds of a frame, striking out one, for the win.
USI graduate right-hander
Nathan Anderson (1 Save) posted a save in relief. Anderson allowed one unearned run on one hit in two innings of work, while striking out five.
USI senior left-hander
Jake Porter started and got the no-decision. Porter went 2.1 innings, allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits and one walk. He also struck out two.
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI will conclude the series Sunday when the Screaming Eagles and the Roadrunners play a 3 p.m. (CST) doubleheader. The series finale was moved up to Sunday from Monday due to the forecast of rain in Bakersfield.
The Screaming Eagles open the 2026 home schedule February 20 when they start a four-game series with Oakland at the USI Baseball Field.