The University of Southern Indiana baseball team dropped the series finale to Quincy University, 4-2, Sunday afternoon in Quincy, Illinois. USI watched its record go to 6-9 overall, while Quincy goes to 10-8 in 2017.
For the third-straight game, the Screaming Eagles posted an early lead. Junior leftfielder Buddy Johnson (Shelbyville, Kentucky) jumped started the offense early with a second-inning single, advanced to second on a sacrifice, and stole third before scoring on an RBI-bunt single by junior first baseman Nathan Kuester (Rockport, Indiana). The Eagles would hold onto that 1-0 lead until the Hawks knotted up the game at 1-1 in the fourth and took the lead, 2-1 in the sixth.
Johnson, who finished the game two-for-three with a run scored, an RBI, and a double, got the Eagles back even at 2-2 with an RBI-double in the top of the seventh, scoring sophomore catcher Logan Brown (Mt. Vernon, Indiana). Brown had reached on a single and advanced to second a sacrifice with one out.
The Hawks, however, would bounce back in the bottom of eighth, scoring the winning run and an insurance tally in a two-run frame for the margin of victory in their 4-2 win.
On the mound for USI, sophomore right-hander Austin Krizan (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) lost for the first time in 2017. Krizan (1-1) lasted a third of an inning, allowing two runs on three hits in the eighth.
USI senior right-hander Lucas Barnett (Sellersburg, Indiana) started and received a no-decision in the loss. Barnett allowed the first two Hawk runs, allowing four hits and three walk, while striking out three in five-plus innings of work.
The Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field March 22 when they host the University of Missouri-St. Louis for a non-conference match-up. USI holds a 50-42 lead in the all-time series with UMSL after the programs split a pair of regular season games last year (UMSL 8-1; USI 10-1) and has a 15-7 advantage in the all-time series since 2007. Coverage for all of USI Baseball can be found on GoUSIEagles.com.
