ALTON, Ill. – VU sophomore center fielder Colin Long (Evansville, Ind.) broke a 7-7 tie in game four of Vincennes’ four-game Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) series at Lewis & Clark with a solo home run in the eighth inning to help give VU a 9-7 win to close out the series.

Vincennes fell in the first game of the day 5-0 before battling back to take game two 9-7 and coming home with a 2-2 series split.

Lewis & Clark wasted little time in game one of the day, scoring three runs in the first and adding another run in the second to take a 4-0 early lead.

The VU batters had a hard time figuring out the Lewis & Clark pitching all game, with Vincennes only able to get two hits through six innings.

Lewis & Clark would add an additional run in the fourth and hold on to close out the 5-0 win.

Vincennes sophomore Dale Coy (Evansville, Ind.) finished with two of VU’s three hits on the day, leading off the second and seventh innings with a single.

Freshman Cauy Motsinger (Salem, Ind.) got the start on the mound in game one Monday afternoon, throwing two-thirds of an inning, allowing three runs on two hits and striking out two.

Freshman Dawson Blaylock (Eaton, Ohio) put together a good game out of the bullpen, lasting four innings, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out one.

Freshman Caleb Moore (Wentzville, Mo.) closed out the game on the mound for VU, lasting an inning and a third while surrendering only one hit and striking out one.

“Lewis & Clark’s pitcher did a great job in game one today,” VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney said. “It’s the second time all year that we’ve been shut out, so you have to tip your hat to their guy. We have to make some adjustments at the plate. We allowed them an opportunity to get ahead early and that took a little pressure off of their pitcher and he responded and did a great job for them.”

“We tried to battle back. I thought Blaylock and Moore threw pretty well,” Barney added. “Motsinger struggled a little bit at the start and Blaylock came in and threw four innings and Moore closed out the last 1.1 innings and both those guys threw really well.”

The visiting Trailblazers looked to bounce back and come away with a four-game split in game two of the day, as the host Trailblazers again were first on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the first.

Vincennes answered back in the third as the bats came alive in a big way, beginning the inning with seven straight hits, including RBI singles by Colin Long, freshman Colton Evans (Henderson, Ky.), sophomore Peyton Lane (New Paris, Ohio) and Dale Coy and a two-RBI double by Connor VanLannen (Clinton, Ind.) as Vincennes answered back to take a 6-2 lead.

Lewis & Clark responded to tie the game in the fifth with four runs.

ST. CHARLES, Mo.—Senior pitcher/designated player Katie Back (Indianapolis, Indiana) had a two-run double in the opener and picked up a win in the nightcap as No. 16 University of Southern Indiana Softball closed the regular-season with a Great Lakes Valley Conference sweep of host Lindenwood University Sunday afternoon at the Lou Brock Complex.

The Screaming Eagles (40-10, 26-2 GLVC) clinched the GLVC regular-season title and top seed in next week’s conference tournament with their 2-0 win in the opener. They rolled to a 7-1 victory in the nightcap to pick up their ninth straight win and 28th in their last 30 games.

Back’s two-run double in the top of the fourth inning of game one broke a scoreless tie and gave junior pitcher Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) a slight cushion as she navigated six scoreless innings before giving way to freshman hurler Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) with a runner on an no outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Newman, who turned out a dominating performance in USI’s game-two win over the University of Missouri-St. Louis Saturday, gave up a hit and had a wild pitch before retiring the final three batters to preserve the shutout.

Goodin (11-2) earned the win after scattering five hits, two walks and three strikeouts throughout six-plus innings of work, while Newman picked up her second save of the year.

In the nightcap, USI got two-run singles from sophomore outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) and Goodin in the top of the second-inning, while a two-run double by sophomore catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) capped off a six-run second inning for the Eagles.

The Lions (34-10, 21-7 GLVC) got on the scoreboard with a tally in the bottom of the third inning and had the bases loaded with one out in the fourth before Back came in and closed the door on the insurrection.

Kihega’s RBI-double in the top of the sixth added to USI’s lead, while Back and freshman pitcher Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) were able to keep the Lions off the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest.

Back (6-1) picked up the win after allowing just one hit in 2 2/3 innings of relief. Newman started the game and had seven strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings of work, but pitch the requisite amount of innings (4.0) get the win.

USI will officially learn its time and opponent in the opening round of the GLVC Tournament once the bracket is announced. The GLVC Tournament begins Thursday at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Illinois.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball lost a doubleheader to Missouri University of Science & Technology, 5-1 and 12-9, on Senior Day Sunday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles go to 17-28 overall and 6-14 GLVC, while the Miners are 19-22, 6-13 GLVC.
 
Game 1:
USI allowed runs in the first, third, and fifth before being shut out by Missouri S&T in the opener, 5-1. The Eagles managed their only tally of the game in the bottom of the seventh when junior centerfielder Evan Kahre (Evansville, Indiana) tripled down the left field, scoring senior pinch runner Brice Stuteville (Rockport, Indiana).
 
USI sophomore right-hander Trent Robinson (Louisville, Kentucky) took the loss in the start. Robinson (2-5) allowed five runs, three earned, on five hits and two walks, while striking out five in 4.1 innings of work.
 
 
Game 2:
USI could not hold onto an early lead and fell, 12-9, in the nightcap and were eliminated from consideration for the upcoming GLVC Tournament.
 
After surrendering a run in the top of the first, USI built a 6-1 lead with four runs in the first and two in the second. The Eagles manufactured the four first inning runs on a sacrifice fly, a fielder’s choice, and a pair of singles, while the two in the second inning crossed on RBI-singles.
 
Following the departure of USI senior starting right-hander Garrett Welch (New Castle, Indiana) due to an injury, the Miners rallied to close the gap to 6-5 with a four-spot in the top of the third. Missouri S&T’s momentum continued to roll as the Miners scored five more unanswered runs (two in the fifth; three in the sixth) to take a 10-6 advantage.
 
USI got one of the runs back in the sixth when a sacrifice fly by junior catcher Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) to make the score 10-7. The Eagles closed the gap even further in the seventh, 10-9, when junior rightfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) and senior shortstop Ethan Hunter (Terre Haute, Indiana) knocked in runs with back-to-back bases loaded walks.
 
The Miners bounced back in the top of the ninth, sealing the Eagles’ fate with two more runs for the 12-9 final.

On the mound, freshman right-hander Ethan Gibson (Owensboro, Kentucky) took the loss in relief. Gibson (0-1) allowed two runs on three hits and struck out two in two innings of work.