EVANSVILLE, Ind. – UIC broke a scoreless tie in the top of the 7^th and defeated the University of Evansville softball team by a 1-0 final in Friday’s series opener at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.

UE starter Sydney Weatherford tossed the entire 7-inning contest, allowing just one run on four hits while walking one batter.  Flames pitcher Christina Toniolo was equally impressive, allowing four hits while walking three in the complete game win.  Evansville notched four hits with Zoe Frossard recording three.

After Sydney Weatherford retired the Flames in order in the top of the first, the Purple Aces had a prime scoring opportunity in the bottom of the inning.  Hits by Marah Wood and Alexa Davis were followed by a walk from Jess Willsey that loaded the bases.  The Flames were able to get the final two outs to keep things scoreless.

UIC put its first runner in scoring position with a pair of 2-out hits in the top of the fifth before a ground out to Weatherford put an end to the threat and kept the Flames off the board.  In the top of the 7^th, the Flames were the first to strike, scoring on a base hit from pinch hitter Jazmyn Casas.

The Aces look to even the series on Saturday with a 2 p.m. contest.

University of Southern Indiana Softball split a pair of games against Southeast Missouri State University on Friday at USI Softball Field, as the Screaming Eagles took game 1 by a score of 2-1 before falling in game 2 to the Redhawks, 6-0.
 
Following Friday’s doubleheader, Southern Indiana (13-13) and Southeast Missouri (12-19) remained tied for second place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings with a 7-4 conference record.
 
Offense came at a premium in the afternoon’s first game Friday. After junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) struck out the side in the top of the second and third innings, Southern Indiana produced some run support in the home half of the third frame. The Screaming Eagles loaded the bases before USI’s all-time hit-by-pitch leader, senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana), was hit by a pitch to score a run. One batter later, senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) singled to right field to give USI a 2-0 lead through three innings.
 
SEMO got a run back on a two-out RBI double in the top of the fifth inning. The Redhawks threatened with the potential tying run coming home from second on a single, but USI left fielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana) threw a dart to Kihega, who made the swipe tag for the last out of the inning. USI kept a 2-1 lead going to the sixth.
 
Even though Southeast Missouri did not go quietly in the seventh with a couple of baserunners, Newman and the Screaming Eagles sealed the deal with a game 1 victory.
 
SEMO scored one run on six hits, while USI tallied two runs off seven hits. Senior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) went 2-3 with a run and Kihega was 2-3 with an RBI.
 
Newman improved to 11-5 in the pitching circle with her 16^th complete game of the season. The right-hander allowed just one run and struck out 10 batters. Newman’s counterpart, senior pitcher Paytience Holman for SEMO, moved to 7-7 with the loss after giving up two runs – one earned – in three innings pitched.
 
In game 2, Southeast Missouri scored first with a run in the first inning. The Redhawks later built their lead up to 4-0 with three runs in the top of the third on a pair of RBI knocks and a bases-loaded walk.
 
After a clean fourth inning for USI sophomore pitcher Raegan Gibson (Louisville, Kentucky), SEMO tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning to increase its lead to 6-0.
Junior pitcher Whitley Hunter (Nashville, Illinois) took over for Gibson in the last two innings, as USI looked to rally at the plate. Despite solid contact late in the contest, Southern Indiana had nothing to show for it with Southeast Missouri closing out the game 2 victory to force a rubber match in Saturday’s series finale.
 
SEMO posted six runs on nine hits, while USI had four hits. The top four players in the batting order for USI were responsible for three of the four hits.
 
Gibson was dealt the loss, moving to 0-3 this season, after five innings of work in her third start of the season. SEMO freshman pitcher Maddie Carney went to 2-4 on the campaign, hurling six shutout innings.

MOREHEAD, Ky. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball stopped a nineth inning Morehead State University rally to win 8-7 Friday evening in Morehead, Kentucky. USI is 12-14 overall and 3-2 in the OVC, while MSU goes to 15-12, 2-3 OVC.
 
The MSU Eagles plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to get the early 2-0 lead. USI junior catcher Logan Mock (Livermore, California) and junior rightfielder Adam Euler (Evansville, Indiana) evened the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth with back-to-back home runs to lead off the frame.
 
After a one-out walk to junior third baseman Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela), junior second baseman Land Crowden (Jackson, Missouri) blasted a two-run homer to right center to give the Screaming Eagles a 4-2 lead in the middle of the fourth.
 
Following a two-run MSU rally that tied the score, 4-4, in the bottom of the sixth, USI took the lead for good with a run in the seventh for a 5-4 lead. Euler would strike again with an RBI single to right, plating senior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas).
 
USI sealed the victory with a three-run eighth inning extending the margin to 8-4. Sophomore second baseman Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) made the score 6-5 with a run-scoring double down the left field line, while junior centerfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen (Sioux City, Iowa) finished the USI scoring with a two-run home run to right field for the 8-4 advantage.
 
The MSU Eagles would make a game of it in the final two innings. MSU cut the USI advantage to 8-5 with a tally in the eighth before threatening in the Screaming Eagles in the ninth.
 
After cutting the USI lead to 8-7, MSU loaded the bases with two out before the Screaming Eagles’ junior right-hander Tyler Hutson (Villa Hills, Kentucky) shut door on the USI victory. The save was Hutson’s team-high fourth of the year.
 
The victory on the mound went to junior right-hander Gavin Wilson (Lee’s Summit, Missouri). Wilson (2-1) went 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on three hits in addition to striking out three batters.
 
USI junior right-hander Gavin Seebold (Jeffersonville, Indiana) started and got a no decision. Seebold gave up four runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out three in five innings.
 

y Blemker Field, facing NJCAA Division I No. 17-ranked John A. Logan College and falling by the final score of 12-6.

VU battled throughout and held a 4-1 lead over the Volunteers heading into the sixth inning, but a pair of big innings for the Vols ultimately flipped the game.

The Trailblazers got off to a great start Friday afternoon, scoring two runs in the first after sophomore Kade Hinton (Fort Wayne, Ind.) reached on a walk and came around to score on an RBI double by redshirt freshman Holden Clifton (Louisville, Ill.).

Clifton would then be driven in on an RBI double by freshman Corbin Napier (Indianapolis, Ind.) to put the Blazers ahead 2-0 over the Volunteers.

John A. Logan would get a run back in the second, which was countered by the Blazers in the third after back-to-back singles by Hinton and Clifton, Clifton’s second hit of the day, followed by a two-RBI double by sophomore Blake Heyerly (Monroe, Ind.) to put the Blazers on top 4-1.

The VU lead would hold until the top of the sixth when John A. Logan was able to jump in front for the first time with six runs in the inning to hold a 7-4 advantage.

Vincennes would look to cut into the deficit in the eighth and attempt a late comeback with Hinton and Clifton leading off the inning with walks, Hinton’s fourth time reaching base safely and Clifton’s third on the game.

After a successful sacrifice bunt by freshman Noble Johnson (Terre Haute, Ind.) moved the runners up to second and third, Kade Hinton scored on a dropped third strike wild pitch and Clifton came in to score on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Trevor Newman (Fort Wayne, Ind.) to move the Blazers within a run heading into the final inning.

The Volunteers were able to extend their lead in the top of the ninth, after two quick outs, the Vols were able to capitalize on some defensive miscues and score five runs in the inning to increase the lead to 12-6.

The Trailblazers went down in order in the bottom half of the inning to seal the victory for John A. Logan.

“We played a lot better than we have all season,” VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney said. “We won seven out of the nine innings today. We were up on them going to the sixth and just a couple of crooked numbers, six runs in the sixth and a five-spot in the ninth. In the ninth, most of that came with two outs, they were able to take advantage of a couple of errors on fly balls that didn’t get caught, a couple of walks and hit batsmen and all of a sudden, they have pushed across five runs.”

“The score is not indicative of how we played,” Barney added. “There were positives that came out of today. We threw multiple guys and five out of the seven guys we put on the mound threw really well. We stepped up early in the game with some big hits to break the game open a little bit and build a 4-1 lead. We battled and were competitive with them. Just two miscues late in the game and some walks and hit batsmen in the sixth and the ninth did us in.”

Freshman Carson Allen (Louisville, Ky.) got the start on the mound for the Trailblazers and looked to be in mifor the Trailblazers and looked to be in mid-season form, throwing three innings, allowing one run on four hits without walking a single Volunteer.

Pensacola, Fl.:  Although they were shorthanded more than they planned on being, the Thunderbolts went a perfect 9-for-9 on the penalty kill, capping things off with a shorthanded goal in overtime to defeat the Ice Flyers 2-1 on Friday night in Pensacola.   The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Friday, April 5^th against the Birmingham Bulls, puck drop at 7:00pm CT.

After a scoreless first period, the Ice Flyers grabbed the first lead of the game at 6:10 of the second period as Spencer Kennedy converted on a surprise turnover at the Evansville net front.  Only a few minutes later at 11:02, the Thunderbolts tied the game as Grant Spence scored off a rebound from Brendan Harrogate, the goal being Spence’s first professional goal in his first game as a Thunderbolt.  It had appeared that Evansville had taken a 2-1 lead late in the second period on a power play, however the goal was waived off due to incidental contact with Ice Flyers goaltender Stephen Mundinger.  Following a scoreless third period that saw both teams come up short on power plays, the game went to overtime, where Matt Hobbs scored on a shorthanded breakaway, off a feed from Lincoln Hatten only 51 seconds into overtime to win it for the Thunderbolts 2-1.  With a playoff spot already in hand, the Thunderbolts have now won 5 of their last 6 games, with only 3 games remaining in the regular season.

Spence and Hobbs each scored one goal, while Cole Ceci finished with 37 saves on 38 shots for his 13^th win of the season.  The Thunderbolts and Ice Flyers meet again for the final time this regular season on Saturday, March 30^th at Pensacola Bay Center.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. –  Down to its final out, the visiting Southern Illinois Salukis rallied for five runs in the top of the ninth inning and held on for a 10-6 victory over the University of Evansville baseball team at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium.

The Salukis struck first with single runs in the first and third innings to grab an early 2-0 lead.  But, from there, UE freshman starter Kenton Deverman shut down the SIU offense, and his teammates gave him the lead with a three-run third inning.

Junior outfielder Harrison Taubert led off the third inning with a double off the wall in left-center field, and he eventually scored on an RBI groundout by freshman catcher Kaleb Wilkey.  Senior designated hitter Kip Fougerousse then followed two batters later with a mammoth 462-foot two-run home run over the scoreboard in left-center field to give UE a 3-2 lead.

Deverman held SIU scoreless over the next three innings, and UE added three more runs in the sixth inning to build a 6-2 lead.  Freshman second baseman Brodie Peart knocked an RBI double and Taubert added an RBI single in the frame.

SIU would finally get to Deverman in the seventh, as they scored three runs off of him and reliever Drew Fieger to get back within a run at 6-5.  Sophomore reliever Max Hansmann (0-1) came on in the eighth to strike out the side, and he got the first two outs of the ninth inning around a pair of singles, but SIU third baseman Hesston Gray was able to tie the game with a seeing-eye single to left field.  SIU outfielder Nathan Bandy then followed with a two-run single to left-center field to give the Salukis the lead for good.

Taubert went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to lead UE, while Peart and Fougerousse added two hits each.  Gray and shortstop Jake Allgeyer both had four-hit days for SIU.

With the victory, SIU improves to 18-9 overall and 4-1 in the MVC.  Evansville, meanwhile, falls to 10-16 overall and 1-4 in the league.  The series will conclude on Saturday at 1 p.m. with the rubber match.  Graduate left-hander Donovan Schultz (0-1, 8.78 ERA) will get the start for UE on the mound.  The game can be heard live on 107.1 FM-WJPS.

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana captured two national titles Friday (March 29) night at the 2024 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships inside the IU Natatorium, repeating championships in the 100-yard backstroke and 3-meter diving events.

Brendan Burns defended his 100-yard backstroke title despite from lane one. Burns won in a time of 43.86, just three hundredths of a second in front of the 2022 champion, NC State’s Kacper Stokowski. The junior is now a three-time NCAA champion, winning the 200-yard butterfly in 2022. He’ll swim the 200 fly and the 200-yard backstroke on Saturday – his final meet day as a Hoosier.

The Indiana diving duo of juniors Carson Tyler and Quinn Henninger have combined for four medals in two days, finishing first and second on the 3-meter board Friday. Tyler won his second-career national championship, first on 3-meter, with a score of 476.85 and will defending his 2023 platform title Saturday. Henninger took silver with a 461.75. The pair was part of a 1-3-4 finish for IU a year ago behind now-pro Andrew Capobianco’s third-career 3-meter title.

IU sits No. 4 in the team race with 247 points through three days at the national meet, behind third place Florida (273 points) and in front of fifth-place NC State (206).