CARBONDALE, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball rallied in the final frames, but lost to Southern Illinois University, 10-7, Friday evening at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. USI is 12-6 this season, while SIU goes to 7-9.
 
The Salukis got off to a fast start in the opening game of the series, scoring five runs in the opening frame and a pair of tallies in the second for a 7-0 advantage. USI battled back by cutting the deficit to 7-2 with runs coming on singles by graduate centerfielder Khi Holiday and senior first baseman Patrick McLellan in the third.
 
The Screaming Eagles cut the deficit further in the fourth when senior catcher Micajah Wall hit a home run to left field to make the score 7-3. SIU bounced back to re-extend the margin to seven runs, 10-3, with two tallies in the fourth and one in the sixth.
 
USI closed the seven-run gap to three with a four-run seventh inning by manufacturing runs. The Screaming Eagles scored once on a bases-loaded walk, a wild pitch, and RBI singles by senior shortstop Clayton Slack and junior pinch hitter Evan Zapp.  
 
After leaving the bases jammed in the seventh, USI would get a runner on in the eighth and the ninth before SIU closed the door on the Screaming Eagles.
 
At the plate, USI senior leftfielder Hunter Miller and graduate rightfielder Jesse Velders led the Screaming Eagles with two hits each. McLellan finished a team-high two RBIs.
 
On the mound, junior right-hander Eben Hansen started and took the loss for USI. Hansen (1-1) allowed five runs on five hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning of work.
 
Up Next for the Screaming Eagles:
USI concludes the three-game series Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Carbondale. Saturday's single game was converted to a doubleheader due to the forecast of inclement weather on Sunday.
 
The Screaming Eagles are scheduled to end their five-game road swing Tuesday when they visit Bellarmine University for a 1 p.m. (CDT) single game in Louisville, Kentucky.