The University of Southern Indiana baseball team advanced to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional finals for the second time in three seasons after defeating sixth-seeded Ashland University in a slugfest, 13-8, Saturday evening in Quincy, Illinois. USI, the fourth seed, sees its record go to 36-19 overall, while Ashland watches its mark go to 33-21.
With the victory, the unbeaten Screaming Eagles earn the day off on Sunday as top-seeded Quincy University, fifth-seeded Missouri University of Science & Technology, and Ashland battle for the right to play USI for the regional crown on Monday. The first regional final game Monday is slated for noon. Should the Eagles lose the noon contest, an “if necessary game” would follow at 3:30 p.m.
USI senior rightfielder Kyle Kempf (Evansville, Indiana) got the offense going in the first inning, hitting his fifth home run of the season and his second of the regional to put Eagles up, 1-0. The Eagles increased the early lead to 2-0 on senior third baseman Trent Gunn‘s (Tell City, Indiana) sacrifice fly in the second inning.
Ashland, however, was not about to go quietly and rallied to take a lead of its own, 3-2, in the bottom of the second.
The Eagles bounced back with a 4-run spurt in the third, highlighted by five-straight two-out hits, to retake the advantage, 6-3. Ashland responded in the bottom half of the inning to cut USI’s margin to 6-5.
USI extended the lead to three, 8-5, in the top of the fourth when Kempf doubled in a run and senior catcher Ryan Bertram (Zionsville, Indiana) singled in Kempf. One inning later, USI gave up the lead for the second time when Ashland knotted the game up, 8-8, with a three-run fifth.
Senior first baseman Andrew Cope (Evansville, Indiana) provided the offense in the final three innings to get USI the victory. Cope drove in the eventual game-winning run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh to make the score 9-8 before highlighting a four-run ninth with a two-run blast to right field as the Eagles closed out the 13-8 victory.
On the mound, senior right-hander Alex Holder (Princeton, Indiana) gave the Eagles five strong innings in relief to earn his fourth win of the year. Holder (4-5) allowed three runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out three.
Senior right-hander T.J. Decker (Brazil, Indiana) was clutch once again in the final innings as he earned his third save of the regional. Decker pitched two innings, allowing two walks and striking out three in picking up his team-best ninth save of 2016.
The Eagles started freshman right-hander Austin Krizan (Mt. Vernon, Indiana). Krizan earned a no decision after going two innings and allowing five runs, two earned.
