MARTIN, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana junior catcher Parker Stroh (Grand Fork, North Dakota) and senior second baseman Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) homered in the eighth and ninth innings to lead the Screaming Eagles to a 7-5 victory over the University of Tennessee at Martin Sunday afternoon in Martin, Tennessee. USI watched its record go to 10-25 overall and 3-9 in the OVC, while UTM goes to 11-26, 6-6 OVC, this spring.
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USI jumped out to a 1-0 lead for the fourth-straight game when Stroh singled up the middle to drive in junior leftfielder Gavin McLarty (Buckner, Kentucky). The lead would hold until UTM tied the game with a single tally in the third.
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The Eagles got back into the driver’s seat with two runs in the fourth and the fifth to lead 5-1. McNew drove in junior designated hitter Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) with USI’s second run when he reached on an error before scoring himself on a sacrifice fly by Stroh to make the score 3-1.
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USI upped the lead to a game-high four runs, 5-1, on RBI-singles by Ebest and McLarty in the fifth. The Skyhawks responded with four runs to tie the game 5-5, posting a single tally in the bottom of the fifth and a trio of tallies in the sixth.
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Stroh, who finished the game two-for-three with three RBIs, would strike again in the top of the eighth to push USI back into the lead, 6-5, with a solo shot to right field. The homer was Stroh’s first of the season.
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After UTM stranded the tying run on third in the eighth, McNew, who had two RBIs in the game, increased the lead to the final score of 7-5 in the top of the ninth with USI’s second solo shot of the game. The round-tripper was McNew’s second of the season and the 22nd of his career.
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USI junior right-hander Carter Stamm (Jasper, Indiana) (2-1) picked up the win in relief after getting the Eagles out of the first and third jam in the seventh. Sophomore right-hander Tyler Hutson (Villa Hills, Kentucky) posted his first save of the season and the fourth of his career after throwing two scoreless frames to secure the victory.
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The Eagles got a strong outing from junior left-hander Blake Ciuffetelli (Newburgh, Indiana) to start the game, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out four in 4.1 innings of work.
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The middle innings were anchored by sophomore right-hander Adam Weihe (Louisville, Kentucky). Wiehe, who relieved Ciuffetelli in the fifth, allowed three unearned runs on three hits in 2.1 innings of work.
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Up Next for the Eagles:Â Â
USI comes home to start a five game homestand at the USI Baseball Field Wednesday when it hosts Oakland City University for a 6 p.m. contest. Following the USI-OCU match-up, the Eagles host a three-game OVC series with Eastern Illinois University April 21-23 prior to concluding the homestand with a 6 p.m. contest with McKendree University April 25.
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The series between USI and OCU tilts toward the Eagles, who hold a decisive 88-12 series margin. USI also has won seven of the last 10 despite losing last year’s game, 6-4, at the USI Baseball Field.
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OCU is 27-14 after completing a three-game sweep of Alice Lloyd College Sunday, 9-7. The Mighty Oaks, who have won four in a row and five of their last six, play at Lindsey Wilson College on Tuesday before coming to play USI.
