EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball battled back to win the nightcap and earned a doubleheader split with SIU Edwardsville Friday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI dropped the opener, 9-7, but bounced back to win the nightcap, 7-6.
Following the two games Friday, USI is 19-13 this season and 4-5 in the OVC, while SIUE is 16-15, 8-1 OVC.
Game 1:
USI could not dig itself out of an early 6-0 hole and lost the opening game, 9-7. SIUE built a 6-0 lead through the first three-and-a-half frames before USI could get on the board. The Screaming Eagles outscored the Cougars, 7-3, in the final five-and-a-half frames, but could not overcome leaving 10 runners on base between the fifth and the ninth innings.
Graduate rightfielder
Noah Foster led USI at the plate during the opening game, going five-for-five with three runs scored and a RBI. Senior shortstop
Clayton Slack and senior catcher
Micajah Wall followed with three hits each.
On the bump, junior right-hander
Ryan Weller started and took the loss for the Screaming Eagles. Weller (2-2) allowed six runs, five earned, on five hits and five walks, while striking out three in 3.1 innings of work.
Game 2:
USI senior designated hitter
Micajah Wall broke a tie with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh and the Screaming Eagles held on to win the nightcap, 7-6.
The Screaming Eagles had leads of 2-0 and 5-2 early in the contest, but the Cougars fought back to tie the games both times. Wall would break the 5-5 tie for good in the seventh, hitting a towering drive over the left field wall for a 7-5 advantage.
The Cougars would attempt a comeback in the ninth, loading the bases with one out and pulling to within one run, 7-6. USI senior right-hander
Andres Gonzalez closed the door on the victory to earn his second save of the season.
Junior right-hander
Levin East posted his team-best fifth save of the season in relief. East threw 3.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits and one walk, while striking out four.
At the plate, junior catcher
Drue Saenz led USI by going four-for-four with three runs scored, while Wall finished the nightcap by going three-for-four with three runs scored and two RBIs on the home run. The home run was Wall's third of the season.
Up Next for the Screaming Eagles:
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.
Bellarmine is 12-17 overall this spring and was finishing a homestand with Lipscomb University at home this weekend after press time. The Knights are 7-4 since defeating USI on March 18, 3-2.
USI leads the all-time series with Bellarmine, 89-79, and is the series since moving to Division I, 6-3.
