The University of Southern Indiana baseball team picked up a 5-4 walk-off victory in the 2020 home-opener Friday afternoon over region opponent Trevecca Nazarene University.
Senior rightfielder Manny Lopez stole the win for the Screaming Eagles (2-2) with a bases-loaded single down the leftfield line to score freshman centerfielder Steven Molinet.
Senior pitcher Austin Gossmann took the ball for his second start of the young season, going five innings of work though he left with a 3-2 deficit on the scoreboard.
USI started the scoring in the third inning with a pair of runs. Freshman first baseman Adam Wildeman sprinted across the plate on a passed ball after leading off the inning with a single to centerfield. Sophomore third baseman Lucas McNew picked up a two-out RBI-single scoring senior shortstop Kobe Stephens, who put himself on third base with a triple to left centerfield in the previous at-bat.
After three clean innings, Gossmann let up his first run on a single through the middle in the top of the fourth, followed by a two-run homer in the sixth before being replaced by senior reliever Tyler Hagedorn. Gossman ended the day charged with three runs on five hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Trevecca added its final run in the top of the ninth inning, with a single off the bat of Trojan David Milan, charging Wildeman with his lone run over four innings of work.
The Eagles mounted a comeback in the final frame with a pinch-hit single from sophomore Austin Moody to lead off, followed by sophomore leftfielder Bryce Krizan to right centerfield, who prompty stole second base. With runners on second and third, freshman centerfielder Steven Molinet forced a fielding error at shortstop to score Moody for a RBI.
With the score 4-3, Stephens placed a double in the right centerfield gap to score Krizan, followed by a McNew walk to load the bases for Lopez’s walk-off knock.
Hagedorn picked up his second win of the 2020 campaign following his four innings of relief, allowing just one run over two hits while collecting four punchouts.
USI Baseball returns to its home field tomorrow to wrap up its three-game set with the Trojans. The doubleheader opens at 1 p.m.
