EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball was out battled by Austin Peay State University, 10-6, Tuesday evening at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles watch their record go to 5-7, while APSU goes to 3-9.
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Following a three-run first by Austin Peay, USI rallied to take a 4-3 lead with one in the first and three more in the second. The 4-3 lead would be the only lead of the game for the Eagles.
USI senior centerfielder Evan Kahre (Evansville, Indiana) scored USI’s first run on an RBI-single by senior first baseman Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) to cut the opening deficit to 3-1. Junior rightfielder Drew Taylor (Jeffersonville, Indiana), senior leftfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan), and junior second baseman Alex Archuleta (Evansville, Indiana) followed with three-straight extra base hits (triple, double, triple) to put the Eagles in front, 4-3, in the second.
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Tachioka doubled in Taylor, who tripled to open the frame, with the second run, while Archuleta tripled in Tachioka to tie the score, 3-3. Archuleta would score the lead tally on a wild pitch for the brief 4-3 lead.
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The Govs responded with six unanswered runs to regain the lead, 9-4, on three in the third and three in the seventh. USI cut the deficit to 9-6 on with two in the seventh on two-run base hit by freshman third baseman/shortstop Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana).
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Austin Peay added one more tally to seal the game in the eighth and the 10-6 final.
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On the mound, USI sophomore right-hander Adam Weihe (Louisville, Kentucky) took the loss for the Eagles. Weihe (0-2) allowed six runs, four earned, on nine hits, while striking out one in 2.1 innings of work.
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USI junior lefthander Blake Ciuffetelli (Newburgh, Indiana) followed Weihe to the mound, going 4.1 innings of work and striking out a career-high seven batters.
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Up Next for the Eagles:
USI continues the four-game homestand Friday when it starts a three-game series with Oakland University at the USI Baseball Field. The series starts Friday at 6 p.m.; continues Saturday at 2 p.m.; and concludes Sunday with a noon first pitch.
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The Golden Grizzlies start this week with a 2-8 record and are slated to play the University of Michigan Wednesday as they make their way to Evansville. Oakland is 2-3 in the last five games after dropping two-of-three with Wichita State University last weekend.
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USI and Oakland are tied 1-1 in the series after splitting a doubleheader in 1977. In the twin bill, USI took the opening game, 8-3, but dropped the nightcap, 4-0.
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