EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball could not hold off Little Rock, 7-3, in the second day of the Ohio Valley Baseball Championship at Mt. Dew Park in Marion, Illinois. USI, the eighth seed, is 28-28, while Little Rock, the fourth seed, is 31-25.
USI junior third baseman
Parker Martin put the Screaming Eagles in front in the fourth inning with a two-run blast to right field. The home run was Martin's third of the season.
The Trojans, however, responded in the bottom half of the frame, picking up their first four hits of the game and tying the game, 2-2. The two-run frame would retire USI sophomore
Ean DiPasquale, who got the no-decision after allowing the runs on four hits and struck out one in four frames of work.
USI would jump back into the lead in the top of the seventh when senior leftfielder
Hunter Miller singled in graduate rightfielder
Noah Foster from third base. Foster had started the inning with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice by junior second baseman
Zion Stephens.
Little Rock responded for a second time in the contest, this time taking the lead with a three-run bottom of the seventh to move in front 5-3. The Trojans would add to the lead in the eighth, scoring two more for the eventual 7-3 final.
USI junior right-hander
Levin East took the loss for USI in relief. East (5-5) allowed three runs (all in the seventh) on four hits and struck out two in 2.1 innings of work.
Up Next for the Screaming Eagles:
USI continues the OVC Baseball Championship in the elimination bracket and will play the loser of #2 Eastern Illinois/#3 Southeast Missouri State in the 4:30 p.m. game seven of the tournament at Mt. Dew Park.
EIU, which finished the regular season with a 31-19 mark, swept USI during the regular season in Charleston, Illinois. The Panthers lead the all-time series with USI, 26-10.
SEMO won its tournament opener over Lindenwood, 2-1, and saw its record rise to 39-16 in 2026. The Redhawks swept USI two weeks ago in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and lead the all-time series, 34-28.
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.
