University of Southern Indiana Baseball broke out the bats to snap a three-game losing streak and open its GLVCÂ season with a 4-1 victory over Illinois Springfield. With the victory, the Screaming Eagles improved to 3-4 on the season while UIS dropped its first game of the season, moving to 4-1.
The Screaming Eagles got on top early following a double by freshman infielder Michael Conner, his third of the season. The freshman Conner brought in fellow freshman, outfielder Steven Molinet, who reached base on a walk, for the first run of the game. Conner gathered three hits in four at-bats on the day along with his one RBI.
Senior outfielder Manny Lopez came through with a big game to help get the Screaming Eagles back on track, amassing three hits on four plate appearances. Lopez crushed his first home run of the season while dropping in two singles and an RBI.
USI extended its lead to 3-0 in the top of the fourth with Lopez’s homerun and Wyatt Daly’s single, which brought in Lucas McNew. Daly went one-of-three at the plate with his single, also drawing a walk. The Screaming Eagles capped off the game with a fourth run in the eighth inning off a hit by Lopez, bringing Trent Robinson, who was pinch-running for Conner, around to home.
The USI defense held up through the bottom of the ninth when the Stars pushed their one and only run through on a wild pitch. Austin Grossman tossed eight innings with three strikeouts to hold off the Prarie Stars, allowing only four hits and one run. Paul Perez entered in the ninth to finish off UIS and struck out one during the inning.
UP NEXT:
USI returns on Saturday, March 13, for day two against Illinois Springfield with a double-header scheduled for 11 A.M. and 2 P.M.
