MILLINGTON, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball opened its NCAA Division I 2023 campaign and a four-game series with an 11-5 victory Western Illinois University Friday afternoon at USA Stadium in Millington, Tennessee. The Screaming Eagles start the year 1-0, while Western Illinois begins 0-1.   
 
After spotting the Leathernecks a tally in the first inning, the Eagles exploded for three runs in the third when junior third baseman Lane Crowden (Jackson, Missouri) tripled with the bases loaded to give USI a 3-1 lead after three frames.
 
Western Illinois responded by loading the bases in the top of the fourth with one out, but USI was able to escape without any damage when junior second baseman Alex Archuleta (Evansville, Indiana), sophomore shortstop Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela), and junior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) combined for a 4-6-3 double play.
 
USI’s 3-1 lead would last until the fifth when Western Illinois hit back-to-back home runs to tie the game 3-3. The Eagles got the lead back, 4-3, with a home run of their own when Ebest slammed a shot over the right field wall.
 
The Leathernecks would regain the lead, 5-4, in the top of the sixth with a pair of tallies with two outs. WIU would hold that lead briefly as USI replied with a four-run bottom half of the frame to regain the advantage, 8-5.
 
The four-run sixth for USI was highlighted by a two-run blast by senior catcher Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana).
 
The Eagles would strike again in the bottom of the seventh and seal the victory with three more runs to increase the margin to 11-5. McNew led the way for the second-straight frame, crushing a two-run double down the left field line, while USI scored a third run in the inning on a ground out by Ebest.
 
For the game, McNew and Crowden led the way for USI by combining to drive in seven of the 11 USI runs. McNew had four of the RBIs on the home run and double, while Crowden was three-for-three with a the three-run triple.
 
On the mound, junior left-hander Blake Ciuffetelli (Newburgh, Indiana) picked up the first win of the year in relief. Ciuffetelli (1-0) pitched a third of the sixth inning, stopping the WIU two-run rally.
 
USI sophomore right-hander Gavin Morris (Brazil, Indiana) finished the game for the Eagles to earn the save. Morris threw three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and a walk, while striking out two.

Up Next for the Eagles:
The Eagles and the Leathernecks continue the series Saturday with a noon doubleheader at USA Stadium. The series is set to conclude Sun

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Tennis fell to Eastern Kentucky University on Friday afternoon, 5-2, in Evansville. The Screaming Eagles fall to 2-5 on the season while the Colonels improve to 2-4.
 
Doubles:
USI was able to come out the gates firing to open the match, taking two of the three doubles matches to claim the point for the Eagles. Sophomores Guy Finkelstein (Lehavim, Israel) and Quinten Gillespie (Whiteland, Indiana) took the number three doubles to open the day, 6-4. After Eastern Kentucky took the number one doubles, senior Yahor Bahdanovich (Minsk, Belarus) and junior Ruben Emmerson-Hiini (Auckland, New Zealand) took the number two doubles to claim the point in favor of USI, 6-4.
 
Singles:
The Colonels were able to get their revenge in the singles matches, taking the first four matches to claim a match victory for Eastern Kentucky. The Eagles never gave up as junior Dylan Brown (Evansville, Indiana) was able to easily take down his opponent in the number six singles, 6-1 6-4.
 
UP NEXT FOR USI:
The Eagles finish off a three match homestand next weekend as they host two matches at the Evansville Tennis Center. USI hosts the University of Missouri-St. Louis on February 24 starting at 12 pm and then hosts Hanover College on February 25 beginning at 3 pm.

EVANSVILLE – Powered by the trio of Feit, Griffin, and Newman, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team battled back in the fourth quarter to force overtime and eventually capture a 68-65 win over UIC on Friday evening inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.

The Aces were led by three upperclassmen in senior guard/forward Abby Feit, fifth-year guard A’Niah Griffin, and graduate guard Anna Newman. The trio combined for 62 of Evansville’s 68 points on the night with Feit leading the way with 26 points and eight boards, scoring 23 points in the second half and overtime. Griffin also reached the 20-point mark, adding a season-best seven rebounds, while Newman finished just one off tying a career-high with 16 points in her first game back after missing the previous three games due to an injury. While not scoring, redshirt junior Celine Dupont contributed to the win, grabbing eight boards and swatting three shots in her 27 minutes on the floor. The Flames were led by Sara Zabrecky, who finished with 17 points, knocking down five three-pointers.

Getting off to an efficient start, Evansville grabbed a 10-7 lead, fueled by five points from Griffin, before hitting the midway point of the opening quarter. UIC would lock-in defensively down the stretch of the first quarter, edging in front to take a 14-12 lead.

A defensively dominated second quarter saw an evenly played contest continue with each side scoring just 11 points in the second frame. Evansville was hampered much of the first half by foul trouble with Abby Feit, who picked-up two fouls in the opening half and played just nine minutes in the first two periods as the Aces went to the half trailing by just two at 25-23.

After a Feit layup tied the game at 25 just 11 seconds into the second half, UIC went on a run that would give the Flames a double-figure advantage. A 15-2 spree for UIC that concluded with 6:25 left in the third with the Flames owning a 40-27 lead and resulted in an Evansville timeout. The break seemed to make a difference for the Aces, who responded with a run of its own to chip back within six at 45-39 going into the fourth.

Evansville’s furious battle back into the contest continued in the fourth quarter with three-straight triples pushing the Aces in front for the first time since the opening period at 53-51 with less than two minutes left in regulation. The Aces lead would grow as large as five with 1:46 left in the period, but UIC made a late run in return. Back-to-back banked-in threes from Zabrecky lifted UIC back in front at 58-57 with just 18 seconds remaining, but Newman was able to drive to the basket and get to the line, splitting a pair and tying the game at 58, sending the contest into overtime.

In overtime, Evansville quickly took control with triples from Griffiin and Feit that pushed UE back up by five in the first extra period. UIC was not within a final push, cutting to within three inside the final minute and forcing a held ball that gave the Flames back possession in the final seconds. Looking to repeat her performance from the end of regulation, Zabrecky had two looks from deep before the buzzer, but could not get either to fall as Evansville grabbed the 68-65 win.

Evansville closes the weekend with a matchup with Valparaiso in its Play4Kay game at 1 PM on Sunday afternoon inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.

TROY, Ala. – The home-standing Troy University Trojans used a little two-out magic and the strength of four home runs to outlast the visiting University of Evansville baseball team, 12-7, at Riddle-Pace Field in Troy, Alabama in the season-opener for both squads.

 

“It was a tough start to the weekend, but you have to credit the Troy hitters,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “They scored a lot of runs with two outs, as we could not get out of innings.

 

“I thought that our offense showed some good signs, especially getting their starting pitcher’s pitch count up early to get him out of the contest.  I am definitely looking forward to tomorrow, as we look to get back into the series.”

 

Troy was able to plate nine of its 12 runs with two outs in an inning, on the strength of going 6-for-12 with runners in scoring position with six two-out RBI.  The Trojans also got home runs from outfielders Kole Myers and Shane Lewis, as well as third-baseman Caleb Bartolero and catcher Clay Stearns to overcome a two home run debut by UE junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse (Linton, Ind./Indiana University).

 

Fougerousse took the first pitch he saw as a Purple Ace, and the first pitch of the season, deep to right field for his first home run of the day to give UE a 1-0 lead.  He then capped the night’s scoring in the eighth inning with a solo shot to center field, as he finished his first game as a Purple Ace going 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs.

 

After UE took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Trojans grabbed the lead for good in the second inning with a two-out, three-run home run by Lewis to left field off of UE Nick Smith (0-1).  Bartolero would deliver a two-out RBI single in the third inning to push the lead to 4-1, before UE would bounce back with an RBI single by junior catcher Brendan Hord (Lexington, Ky./Univ. of Kentucky) in the top of the fourth inning.

 

Stearns would answer in the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run to left-center field, before the Trojans would break the game open in the fifth inning with four two-out runs.  An error in center field opened the flood gates in the inning to allow three of the four runs to score unearned.

 

Troy would grow the lead to 12-4 through seven innings, before Hord would launch a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to cut the deficit to 12-6.  Fougerousse would follow two batters later with his second home run of the night, but UE would get no closer.

 

Hord led UE offensively by going 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs driven in.  First baseman William Sullivan and shortstop Tremayne Cobb Jr. both had three-hit days to pace the Trojans.

 

The two teams will continue the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. as UE senior left-hander Tyler Denu (Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb) will square off with Troy RHP Zach Fruit.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Anne Fowler and Anna Peplowski are again Big Ten Champions.

Indiana women’s swimming and diving junior Anne Fowler won her third-career Big Ten gold, while Anna Peplowski captured her first individual gold in the third night of finals at the 2023 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday (Feb. 17) inside Canham Natatorium.

Fowler followed up her 1-meter win on Thursday with her second-career 3-meter title Friday to complete the sweep of the springboard events. Her career-best 385.55 score lifted her to a 12.50-point victory as she earned at least 60 points on all six dives. IU also got a bronze medal in the event as well, as sophomore newcomer Skyler Liu earned her first-career conference medal with a 356.10 score. Fowler was previously the Big Ten champion in the 3-meter dive in 2021 as a freshman.

 The silver medalist a year ago, Anna Peplowski is the new Big Ten Champion in the 200-yard freestyle.

Dueling Ohio State senior and 2022 champion Amy Fulmer, who had set the 200 free pool record on Wednesday during the 800 freestyle relay, the IU sophomore claimed the crown swimming a program record 1:43.33. The swimmers were tied after 100 yards with a 50.71 split before Peplowski took a slight edge in the next fifty and held off Fulmer through the end.

The win marked Peplowski’s first individual Big Ten gold after taking silver in the 200 free, 200 back and 800 freestyle in last year’s championships where she was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She had already won gold and bronze in relays coming into Friday night.

Two events after the win, Peplowski won her second straight silver medal in the 100-yard backstroke. After entering as the No. 3 seed, Peplowski dropped six tenths of a second from her time to touch in a career-best 51.72 and in the runner-up spot. It was Peplowski’s first time under 52.00 in the event.

The sophomore’s title in the 200 free is IU’s second in the event in four years after Cora Dupre won in 2020. The Hoosiers have totaled seven Big Ten titles in the event.

Following the diving, Peplowski was then inserted as the opening leg of the 200-yard freestyle relay, helping IU to its fourth relay medal in as many events. The quartet of Peplowski, freshman Kristina Paegle, senior Ashley Turak and Elizabeth Broshears was .05 seconds faster than their program record relay in midseason with a re-ordered lineup. Paegle and Turak both swam sub-22 legs, while Peplowski and Broshears went 22.3 each.

Peplowski totaled three medals on the day to bring her meet total to five.

Indiana totaled 10 top-10 finishes on the night, including sophomore Mariah Denigan (4:11.25) and senior Mackenzie Looze (4:11.78) in the 400 IM, Elyse Heiser (1:46.58) in the 200 free and Noelle Peplowski (59.10) and Brearna Crawford (1:00.24) in the 100 breast.

TEAM SCORES
1. Ohio State – 934

2. Indiana – 848.5
3. Michigan – 773
4. Wisconsin – 649
5. Minnesota – 529.5
6. Northwestern – 464.5
7. Penn State – 375
8. Rutgers – 318.5
9. Purdue – 311
10. Nebraska – 299
11. Iowa – 163
12. Illinois – 155

    RESULTS
    100 BUTTERFLY

13. Elizabeth Broshears – 53.45 (NCAA B Cut)
14. Lily Hann – 53.77 (NCAA B Cut)

 

400 IM

5. Mariah Denigan – 4:11.25 (NCAA B Cut)
6. Mackenzie Looze – 4:11.78 (NCAA B Cut)
7. Ching Hwee Gan – 4:14.65 (NCAA B Cut)
8. Anna Freed – 4:17.65

 

200 FREESTYLE

1. Anna Peplowski – 1:43.33 (Big Ten Champion, Program Record, NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
2. Elyse Heiser – 1:46.58 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
3. Kristina Paegle – 1:46.69 (NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
4. Ashley Turak – 1:47.92

100 BREASTSTROKE

4. Noelle Peplowski – 59.10 (NCAA B Cut)
5. Brearna Crawford – 1:00.24 (NCAA B Cut)
6. Catherine Graham – 1:01.50 (NCAA B Cut)

100 BACKSTROKE

2. Anna Peplowski – 51.72 (Silver, NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
3. Mya Dewitt – 53.55 (NCAA B Cut)
4. Kacey McKenna – 55.25

 

3-METER DIVE

1. Anne Fowler – 385.55 (Big Ten Champion, Career Best, NCAA Zone Qualifier)
2. Skyler Liu – 356.10 (Bronze, Career Best, NCAA Zone Qualifier)
3. Megan Carter – 291.15 (Consolation Final, NCAA Zone Qualifier)

200 FREESTYLE RELAY

2. Anna Peplowski, Kristina Paegle, Ashley Turak, Elizabeth Broshears – 1:27.70 (Silver, Program Record, NCAA A Cut)

   UP NEXT

Saturday marks the final day of competition at the Big Ten Championships. The 1,650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 fly, platform dive and 400 freestyle relay will be contested, with prelims beginning at 10 a.m. ET.