EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball were frozen offensively in the final six innings by Murray State University and lost 13-6 Wednesday evening at the USI Baseball Field. USI is 13-16 overall, while Murray State goes to 19-10.
After falling behind 2-0 on Murray State home runs in the first and second inning, USI got on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second to even the count, 2-2. USI junior centerfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen (Sioux City, Iowa) ignited the second inning rally with his fifth home run of the season, while junior catcher Logan Mock (Livermore, California) scored on squeeze play bunt by freshman leftfielder Ethan Rothschild (Evansville, Indiana) for the second tally.
The Eagles would break the tie in the bottom of the third when senior designated hitter Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) launched a three-run bomb to right field for a 5-2 USI advantage. The round tripper was Ebest’s fourth of the season.
The Racers would rally to tie the game, 5-5, with a pair of runs in the fifth and a single tally in the sixth. Murray State would grab the lead back for the first time since the top of the second, 8-5, when it picked up a trio of runs in the top of the seventh.
USI closed the gap to two, 8-6, in the bottom of the seventh when freshman leftfielder Cameron Boyd (Villa Hills, Kentucky) drove in Thompson-Allen with a two-out single to left field. The Eagles would leave the tying run at first when senior pinch hitter Tyler Kapust (Sellersburg, Indiana) struck out to end the frame.
Murray State would complete an offensive surge of runs in the final five innings by posting a run in the eighth and four more in the ninth to lead 13-6. USI would attempt to make a game of in the bottom of the ninth before the Racers closed the door on the 13-6 decision.
USI junior right-hander Adam Wiehe (Louisville, Kentucky) took the loss in relief. Wiehe (0-1) allowed three unearned runs on two hits and struck out two in one inning.
