WESTFIELD, Ind. – The Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament came to an end for the 21st-ranked University of Southern Indiana baseball team Friday as it fell to 18th-ranked Quincy University, 12-2, Friday afternoon at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana. USI sees its record go to 33-19 overall, while Quincy advances with a 36-15 mark.
The Screaming Eagles must wait until Sunday night to receive word on an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament and the Midwest Regional. NCAA II Midwest Regional pairings are set to be announced Sunday night at 9 p.m. (CDT) on NCAA.com.
The Eagles fell behind early on Friday, spotting the Hawks a 3-0 lead after four innings. Quincy scored once in the third and twice in the fourth to take the early advantage.
USI battled back with single tallies in the fifth and the sixth to cut the deficit to 3-2. Sophomore leftfielder Drake McNamara (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) put the Eagles on the scoreboard with a home run in the fifth, his seventh of the season.
The second Eagle tally crossed the plate in the sixth when sophomore second baseman Sam Griggs(Evansville, Indiana) scored when senior catcher Ryan Bertram (Evansville, Indiana) hit in to a double play to make the score 3-2. The scoreboard would remain the same until the bottom of the seventh when Quincy put the game out of reach with a nine-run seventh to lead 12-2.
Senior third baseman Trent Gunn (Tell City, Indiana) would try to rally the Eagles in the top of the ninth, hitting a two-run blast to shrink the deficit to 12-4. The second home run of the season by Gunn would be the final runs of the contest for the Eagles.
Junior right-hander Lucas Barnett (Sellersburg, Indiana) took the loss for the Eagles. Barnett (6-5) allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and two walks, while striking out three in 3.1 innings of work. The Eagles would use seven hurlers in the contest, five in the seventh inning alone.
