EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball broke a six-game losing streak with a 12-9 win over Missouri University of Science & Technology Friday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles go to 16-26 overall and 5-12 GLVC, while the Miners are 17-21, 5-12 GLVC.
 
USI spotted Missouri S&T a tally in the first frame before taking its first lead of the game, 2-1, with a two-spot in the bottom half of the opening frame. Sophomore third baseman Daniel Lopez (Dominican Republic) put USI on the board with a bases-loaded walk, while sophomore first baseman Michael Conner (Moline, Illinois) gave the Eagles their first lead of the game on a RBI-fielder’s choice.
 
The 2-1 lead was short lived as the Miners bounce back to score four in the top of the second. The Eagles responded with another two-spot in the third on a RBI-sacrifice fly by Conner and a RBI-single by junior leftfielder Evan Kahre (Evansville, Indiana) to cut the deficit to 5-4.
 
USI took back the advantage, 6-5, with a third two-run frame in the fourth. Sophomore designated hitter Gavin McLarty (Buckner, Kentucky) tied the score, 5-5, with a bases loaded walk before Lopez gave USI the lead, 6-5, with a sacrifice fly.
 
After the Miners bounced back to take an 8-6 lead, the Eagles took control in the sixth with a six-run explosion to regain the lead, 12-8. The USI six-run rally was highlighted by the three-run double by sophomore second baseman Alex Archuleta (Evansville, Indiana) that gave the Eagles a three-run, 11-8 advantage. Archuleta also scored the final run of the frame on a RBI-bunt single by senior shortstop Ethan Hunter (Terre Haute, Indiana).
 
The Miners made another run at the Eagles in the seventh, loading the bases with one out and scoring once, before USI escaped with one run scored and a 12-9 lead. Missouri S&T had one more chance in the ninth to rally, putting runners at first and third with one out before the Eagles closed the door on the victory.
 
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Parker Maddox (Columbus, Indiana) picked up the win in relief. Maddox (1-3) threw one inning-plus, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks.
 
Freshman right-hander Tyler Hutson (Villa Hills, Kentucky) earned his second save of the season to close out the victory. Hutson blanked the Miners on one hit and tied a season-best with five strike outs in three innings of work.
 
Up Next for the Eagles:

Aces welcome Salukis on Saturday and Sunday

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Senior Weekend is on tap this weekend at Cooper Stadium when the University of Evansville softball team welcomes Southern Illinois for a 3-game set.  A noon doubleheader on Saturday opens the series before a single game on Sunday at noon – both games on Saturday will be carried on ESPN3.

 

Senior Day

– Following Saturday’s doubleheader, six Purple Aces seniors will be recognized as the team celebrates Senior Day

– The Class of 2022 includes: Elyse Hickey, Bella Coffey, Haley Woolf, Mackenzie McFeron, Izzy Vetter and Jessica Fehr

 

Last Time Out

– In a single game on Wednesday, the Aces fell to Indiana State by a final of 12-4

– UE scored the opening two runs on solo homers from Marah Wood and Jenna Nink, but the Sycamores countered with 12 runs in a row to pull away for the win

– Wood added a 2-run double in the fifth to complete the scoring

Run Rule

– Over the last five games, senior Mackenzie McFeron has posted seven hits in 14 at-bats while scoring a total of eight runs

– Through the opening 21 games of the MVC slate, she leads the team with a .345 batting average and her efforts in conference have seen her season average rise to .303 following a 2-for-3 game at home versus Indiana State

– She had the first 3-hit game of her career in the April 10 finale at Illinois State

– McFeron has 12 RBI in her career with nine of them coming in 2022

Power Play

– Sophomore Marah Wood blasted her team-leading 8th home run of the season in the series finale against the Sycamores

– Wood is third in the Valley with 12 doubles, tied for 6th with eight home runs and tied for 7th in the league with 29 runs batted in

– She is batting .353 (12-for-34) since April 6 and has seen her average rise from .258 at that time to its current mark of .285

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – One week after competing at Indiana State’s Gibson Invitational, the University of Evansville track and field teams will return to Terre Haute to take part in the Sycamore Open at the Gibson Track & Field Complex.  The one-day meet will take place on Saturday, with field events starting at 10 a.m. central time and track events beginning at noon central time.

Evansville had a successful trip to Terre Haute last weekend, as the Purple Aces broke three school records and set 23 personal-best marks in the three-day Gibson Invitational.  Senior Mike Boots (Evansville, Ind./Mater Dei) broke a 46-year-old record in the shot put event with a throw of 15.34 meters, while junior thrower Zach Dove (Princeton, Ind./Princeton Community) broke the school mark in the hammer throw for the third-straight meet with a toss of 49.50 meters.  Senior Joey Rucinski (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) also made history in the decathlon event, posting a school-record score of 5,906 points to win the event.

“It was good to see a lot of people step up last week and post some more PRs, as we are beginning to close in on the conference meet in a couple of weeks,” said UE head coach Don Walters.  “This meet on Saturday is our final tune-up for the conference meet, so hopefully, we can go out and set some more PRs and be in a real good place going into the Valley Championships in a few weeks.”

UE’s sprinters were able to take advantage of a strong wind last weekend to post some of their fastest times ever on the track, with sophomore Geordan Blades (10.64 – 100, 21.97 – 200) and junior Giovanni Purser (10.66 – 100) on the men’s side and freshman Kara Yunker (13.10 – 100, 27.46 – 200) and senior Skylar Tucker (26.57 – 200) on the women’s side posting personal-best times in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.  Wind could also play a factor on Saturday, with southerly winds expected between 10 and 15 miles-per-hour, with gusts as high as 30.

As a team, Evansville placed fifth out of 11 schools on the men’s side and sixth out of nine schools on the women’s side at the Gibson Invitational.  UE should see good competition at the Sycamore Open this weekend, with the likes of Indiana State, Bradley, Butler, IUPUI, Chicago State, Eastern Illinois and Saint Louis University expected to send competitors from the Division I ranks to the meet.

EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Softball moved up a spot into a tie for No. 16 in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association Division II Top 25 poll but remained No. 3 in the latest NCAA II Midwest Region rankings.
 
The Screaming Eagles (36-10, 22-2 GLVC) are scheduled to close out the regular-season this weekend with Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheaders at the University of Missouri-St. Louis Saturday at noon and Lindenwood University Sunday at noon.
 
USI, which needs one win this weekend to set the program record for conference victories in a single season, is looking to clinch the top seed in next week’s GLVC Tournament. The Eagles lead No. 2 University of Indianapolis (41-5, 21-3 GLVC) by a game and Lindenwood (33-7, 20-4 GLVC) by two games in the conference standings. Indianapolis and Lindenwood also are scheduled to play each other in a doubleheader on Saturday.
 
All four games this weekend will be carried on the GLVC Sports Network and on 95.7 The Spin. Live stats, audio and video links can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com.
 
USI Softball Notes
• Eagles match single-season record. USI Softball matched the single-season program record for conference wins by picking up its 22nd GLVC victory. USI was 22-6 in 1998 and 2015 and went 21-9 in 2016. This season marks the fourth time in program history the Eagles have reached the 20-win plateau in league play.

• Eagles remain third in region rankings. USI held its spot at No. 3 in the latest NCAA Division II Midwest Region rankings. The top seven teams remained unchanged with Indianapolis and Grand Valley State (2nd) holding the top two spots and Drury (4th) and Lindenwood (5th) rounding out the top five. Ohio Dominican (6th) and Findlay (7th) also held their ground, while Northwood debuted in this week’s rankings at No. 8. Illinois Springfield stayed put at No. 9, while Missouri-St. Louis slipped two spots to No. 10.
 
• USI moves up on spot in NFCA Top 25. The Eagles moved into a tie at No. 16 in the latest NFCA Division II Top 25 poll. Indianapolis moved up one spot to No. 2, while Grand Valley State jumped three spots to No. 21.
 
• Seniors honored. USI honored its six seniors—pitcher/designated player Katie Back (Indianapolis, Indiana), third baseman Mary Bean (Schaumburg, Illinois), pitcher Elissa Brown (Brownsburg, Indiana), outfielder Mikaela Domico (Naperville, Illinois), pitcher Maddie Duncan (Lynnville, Indiana) and catcher Courtney Schoolcraft (Crest Hill, Illinois)—following Sunday’s doubleheader sweep of Missouri S&T. This group has helped USI to a 102-56 overall record and a 54-24 mark in GLVC play during the last four years.

VINCENNES, Ind. – Vincennes University Lady Trailblazer sophomore Laila Grant (Derwood, Md.) announced that she has signed to play at Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C.

“I chose Presbyterian College because of the great coaching staff and overall feeling the environment gave me,” Grant said. “I liked the coach’s philosophy of wanting to make everyone the best versions of themselves on and off the court to become role models for others.”

Presbyterian is an NCAA Division I school that plays in the Big South Conference under Head Coach Alaura Sharp.

The Blue Hose finished last season with a 12-18 record and reached the Quarterfinals of the Big South Conference Tournament.

Grant led the Lady Blazers to a 20-9 record this past season in her only year with the blue and gold and led VU while averaging 14.4 points per game.

Grant capped off her season at Vincennes by receiving First Team All-Region 24 honors after spending the previous two seasons at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Fla.

Grant was a very consistent all-around player for the Blazers this past year, averaging 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Grant set her VU career-high in points with 25 against John A. Logan in December at the P.E. Complex. Grant also had season-highs of nine rebounds, eight assists, five steals and five three-pointers made.

Grant scored in double-figures in 22 of her 26 games at Vincennes, including scoring 10 or more points in the final 11 games of the season.

“I’m going to miss my coaches and team the most,” Grant added. “Coach Meeks and Coach Buck have put me in the position to be successful here at VU, which I will always be appreciative of. But I also couldn’t do that without the help of my teammates as well.”

“My biggest take away is to not doubt my capabilities, whether it is basketball or school,” Grant said. “My coaches and teammates always encouraged me to do my best and it is something I will remember going onto my next chapter.”

Grant is the sixth Lady Trailblazer to sign with an NCAA Division I school in the past three years.

“I hope to leave behind the same takeaway I have from my time I’ve been here,” Grant added. “To not doubt what you are capable of and show what you can do, both on and off the court.”

The Vincennes University Athletic Department wishes Laila Grant good luck as she continues her athletic and academic career at Presbyterian College next season.