WEST LAFAYETTE, Ky. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball finished its road swing with a 5-1 loss at Purdue University Wednesday at Alexander Field in West Lafayette, Indiana. USI is 23-22 overall, while Purdue goes to 29-15.
 
The Screaming Eagles and the Boilermakers were scoreless through the first three frames, but Purdue got on the board with a home run in their half of the fourth inning. USI got the tally back in the top of the fifth when graduate leftfielder Jesse Velders scored on a sacrifice fly by graduate centerfielder Khi Holiday.
 
The score would remain tied, 1-1, until the bottom of the sixth when the Boilermakers scored three times to lead, 4-1. Purdue would add one more in the seventh to close out the 5-1 final score.
 
Graduate leftfielder Jesse Velders led USI with a pair of hits and a run scored, while graduate centerfielder Khi Holiday had a hit and a RBI.
 
On the mound, senior right-hander Mason Bell picked up the loss in relief. Bell (0-1), one of 10 USI hurlers, pitched two-thirds of a frame, allowing three runs on two hits and one walk.
 
Up Next for the Screaming Eagles:
 
The Screaming Eagles, 6-12 in the Ohio Valley Conference, return to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field this weekend when they host Tennessee Tech University for a three-game series. The games are slated for 6 p.m. Friday; 4 p.m. Saturday; and 1 p.m. Sunday.
 
The TTU Golden Eagles are 16-30 overall and 4-14 OVC after losing two of three from Western Illinois University last weekend and defeating Lipscomb University Tuesday, 15-5. TTU is 4-6 in its last 10 games.
 
The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series, 5-4, after winning all three games last year in Cookeville, Tennessee.
 
Fans are encouraged to watch social media and USIScreamingEagles.com for any schedule changes due to weather. Links to follow the Screaming Eagles during 2026 can be found on USIScreamingEagles.com and the USI Baseball Schedule.