EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball suffered a tough loss to SIU Edwardsville, 4-2, to open the Ohio Valley Conference series Thursday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI is 18-12 this season and 3-4 in the OVC, while SIUE is 15-14, 7-0 OVC.
 
USI spotted SIUE a 3-0 lead through the top of the fifth before the offense could scratch the scoreboard. The Screaming Eagles were able to shrink the deficit to 3-2 with a tally in the bottom of the fifth and sixth.
 
USI senior catcher Micajah Wall scored the first run of the day for the Screaming Eagles when graduate pinch hitter/leftfielder Jesse Velders reached on a fielder's choice in the fifth. The Screaming Eagles pushed across their second run of the game in the sixth when junior third baseman Parker Martin scored on a groundout by graduate rightfielder Noah Foster.
 
The 3-2 score would be as close as USI would come in the 4-2 loss. SIUE scored an insurance run in the ninth, while USI stranded a runner in the eighth and ninth before the Cougars closed the game.
 
On the mound, junior right-hander Abdriel Figueroa started and took the loss. Figueroa (2-2) allowed three runs, two earned, on nine hits and a walk in five innings of work.
  
Up Next for the Screaming Eagles:
USI and SIUE continue the series Friday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at the USI Baseball Field. The third game of the series was moved from Saturday to Friday due to the forecast of heavy rain.
 
Following the USI-SIUE series, the Screaming Eagles finish their four-game homestand Monday when Bellarmine visits the USI Baseball Field for a 3 p.m. contest. USI hits the road for five games after the homestand, beginning at Butler Tuesday; continuing with a three-game set at Eastern Illinois April 10-12; and concluding at Ball State April 15.