EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball dropped the series finale to Little Rock, 9-4, Sunday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock, Arkansas. USI is 17-11 this season and 3-3 in the OVC, while Little Rock is 17-11, 5-1 OVC.
 
For the second-straight game, Little Rock struck first and often, building a 4-1 lead after the first four frames. The Screaming Eagles picked up their first run of the game in the top of the fourth on a bases-loaded hit by pitch by junior second baseman Zion Stephens.
 
After the Trojans extended the lead to 5-1 with a tally in the bottom of the fifth, graduate rightfielder Noah Foster cut the deficit to 5-2 with his first home run of the season in the sixth. Little Rock rallied once again in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three times to extend the lead to 8-2.
 
USI tried to stay close, 8-4, by scoring twice in the top of the seventh. Graduate centerfielder Khi Holiday started the scoring by doubling in USI's third tally of the game before advancing to third on a wild pitch and scoring on a groundout.
 
Little Rock sealed USI's fate with a run in the bottom of the seventh for a 9-4 decision.
 
On the bump, USI junior right-hander Ean DiPasquale lost for the first time this season. DiPasquale (2-1) allowed four runs, one earned, on five hits in 3.1 innings of work.
 
Up Next for the Screaming Eagles:
USI ends the four-game road swing with a visit to Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday for a 4 p.m. matchup in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Blue Raiders are 16-12 overall and have won four-straight, including a three-game sweep of New Mexico State this weekend.
 
The Screaming Eagles won the only meeting between the two schools in 2024, 12-9, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.