EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball overpowered Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 13-9, and completed a three-game sweep Sunday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles are 22-26 overall and 11-10 OVC, while Cougars go to 18-28-1, 10-11 OVC.
USI moves above the .500 mark in the OVC for the first time since the first week of April and are tied for fifth in the league standings. The Eagles also remain within two games of conference-leading Morehead State University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, which are 13-8 in the league, with six conference games remaining.
SIUE scored four runs in its first two at-bats before the USI bats came to life in the bottom of the second. The Eagles cut the deficit to 4-3 when junior leftfielder Adam Euler (Evansville, Indiana) smashed a three-run blast to right field.
After the Cougars bounced back with a run in the top of the third to lead, 5-3, USI exploded for five runs in the bottom of the third to take its first lead of the game, 8-5. USI senior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) put the Eagles into the lead, 6-5, with a three-run blast to center field.
Junior centerfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen (Sioux City, Iowa) sent USI’s seven run across the plate with a RBI-single to center, while sophomore shortstop Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly for the 8-5 lead.
SIUE rallied to tie the game in the top of the fourth, 8-8, with three runs on three hits, including a two-run home run of its own. The Cougars would slide back into the lead, 9-8, with a tally in the top of the fifth.
The Eagles rallied back into the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a four-run frame. Senior rightfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan), who extended his hitting streak to 11 games, banged a bases-loaded off the center field wall to make the score 11-9. Tachioka finished the scoring in the fifth by stealing third and rounded the bag to score on the wild pitch to put the Eagles up 12-9.
USI finished the scoring in the sixth when Niehaus scored on an error for the 13-9 win.
On the mound, junior right-hander Peyton Brown (Clemmons, North Carolina) picked up the win in relief. Brown (1-1) threw three innings, allowed one run on two hits, while striking out three.
