The University of Southern Indiana baseball team dropped the second of its three-game set with No. 9/10 Ashland University Saturday, 9-4.
Senior rightfielder Manny Lopez led the Screaming Eagles (4-4) at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a two-RBI double in the fifth inning that opened up a 4-0 lead at the time.
Senior reliever Jacob Bowles ended up on the hook for loss after appearing in the middle of Ashland’s comeback run, bringing his season record down to 2-1.
The matchup of Eagles carried as a pitcher’s duel through five innings as USI’s Saturday starter sophomore Garrett Welch went toe-to-toe with Ashland’s Josh Stover. Welch left the game with a 4-0 lead in the top of the sixth, racking up four strikeouts, allowing one run over seven hits on his line.
The scoring opened in the bottom of the fourth as senior catcher Wyatt Daly capitalized on runners standing on second and third with a sacrfice fly to left field, scoring Lopez who got to third via a double from junior designated hitter Aaron Euler.
The following inning featured Lopez’s two-RBI double that scored sophomore centerfielder Austin Moody and freshman second baseman Alex Archuleta. Junior second baseman Ethan Hunter plated the third run in the inning with a single to right field, scoring Lopez.
Over the final four innings, USI endured nine unanswered runs from Ashland including a five-run top of the ninth, that started in a 4-4 tie. The Screaming Eagles emptied the bullpen of four pitchers during the run, where Bowles eventually took credit for loss on the mound.
USI Baseball returns to the USI Baseball Field Sunday at noon to attempt to avoid a sweep at the hands of No. 9/10 Ashland.
