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Men’s Tennis drops Senior Day matchup to Tennessee State
EVANSVILLE, Ind.– University of Southern Indiana Men’s Tennis stumbled in its season finale 5-2 against Tennessee State University Saturday afternoon at the USI Tennis Courts. The Screaming Eagles will head into the program’s first Horizon League tournament with a record of 5-9 (2-2 Horizon).
Southern Indiana celebrated the team’s seniors, Quinten Gillespie and Trent Ross, after the match. Gillespie is a four-year Eagle who participated in 86 contests with the team. His best record came during his freshman season when he had an impressive 12-4 singles and 16-9 doubles record. Ross spent all four years with Southern Indiana, finding the court twice during his senior season against Butler and Vanderbilt.
Doubles
The Eagles struggled in the doubles matchups, dropping the point to the Tigers after the first two matches. Sophomore Eytan Michaeli and Gillespie fell first in the number two doubles match, 6-3. The point was clinched after junior Axel Sabourin and freshman Jy Hibbert narrowly lost to Tennessee State’s number one doubles team 6-4.
Junior Mathys Bove and freshman Adam Koon won their match by default after taking a 5-4 lead.
Singles
Tennessee State won four of the six singles matches. Sabourin and Koon fell 6-2, 6-2, in the number two and six singles. Michaeli did not go down effortlessly. After fighting in set one, he ultimately fell 7-5. The sophomore battled in a 6-3 set two loss, dropping the number three slot.
Hibbert was victorious in the number four singles match, winning the first set 6-1. He was awarded the win by default in the second set. The day closed with Gillespie taking down the Tigers’ number five singles in a thrilling 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 1-0(10-9) win.
WTEN falters in regular season finale against Lindenwood, 6-1
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Women’s Tennis faltered in the regular season finale on Saturday afternoon against Lindenwood University, 6-1.
The Eagles loss concludes the regular season, finishing 1-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The full conference bracket will be released on Sunday night after all competitions are concluded. USI is guaranteed a quarterfinal game, which will be decided based on ITA rankings.
Doubles
The doubles one and two slot struggled, but seniors Madison Windham and Abby Myers nearly clawed out the win in the three slot, falling (7-5). The duo finished their senior season with a 2-3 regular season record together.
Singles
USI failed to execute down the stretch, mustering just one singles victory against a high powered Lindenwood squad. Sophomore Antonia Ferrarini nearly forced a third set in an intense loss (5-6, 6-7 (6-7). Freshman Rylie Wilkison also battled hard in a three-set loss (6-3, 1-6, 2-6).
Sophomore Sofia Davidoff dominated her singles two match for the lone Eagles victory (7-5, 6-1). The sophomore led the squad with eight singles wins this season.
USI celebrated three dedicated seniors in Elle Ossenberg, Myers, and Windham. All three athletes played vital roles in the program’s progress into NCAA Division I competition. The trio contributed towards the program’s first NCAA Division I conference tournament win last season. The three seniors combined to post 38 singles victories, and 46 doubles win.
Adams hits 13th home run in setback to Drake
Weekend finale set for Sunday at 12 p.m.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Morgan Adams hit her MVC-leading 13th home run of the season on Saturday as the University of Evansville softball team fell to Drake by a final of 9-4 at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.
A big start by the Bulldogs saw them score four runs in the top of the first. They reached with five walks as they took the early advantage.
Morgan Adams and Keghan Pye notched hits for UE over the ensuing stretch, but Drake continued the shutout. Their offense came back with three unearned runs in the top of the fifth to push the lead to 7-0 before two more in the sixth made it a 9-0 game.
Evansville got on the board with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Callie Meinel led off with a pinch-hit solo home run before Morgan Adams added a 3-run shot to make it a 9-4 game.
Adams recorded two of the Purple Aces; five hits on the day while bringing in three runs. Starter Sydney Weatherford was tagged with the loss. She threw just over an inning with four runs scoring. Cassidy Gall allowed five runs, two earned, in five frames while Elle Jarrett threw a scoreless seventh inning. The Bulldogs wrapped up the day with seven hits while Peyton Driscoll threw the complete game to record her third win of 2025.
Sunday’s series finale is set for a 12 p.m. first pitch.
Trailblazers drop conference doubleheader at Lincoln Land
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Vincennes University baseball team jumped back into Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) play Saturday afternoon as the Blazers headed to Springfield, Ill. to take on Lincoln Land Community College.
The Trailblazers come out on the wrong end of the series opener doubleheader falling to the host Loggers 9-0 in game one and 15-1 in game two on the day.
Game one of the day got off to a slow start for the Trailblazers with Lincoln Land breaking onto the scoreboard early with a pair of runs in the second and two more in the third to take an early 4-0 lead.
The game got away from VU late as the Loggers added five runs in the sixth to take a 9-0 lead.
Vincennes looked to chip away at the deficit and extend the game in the seventh but were unable to get a runner on base as Lincoln Land closed out game one of the day 9-0.
VU sophomore Carson Allen (Louisville, Ky.) got the start in game one for the Trailblazers, throwing five and two-thirds innings, allowing seven runs on five hits and striking out six in the game.
Sophomore Colton Okes (Evansville, Ind.) was the first out of the bullpen for VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney, getting the final out of the sixth inning, allowing two runs on two hits.
Vincennes looked to bounce back in game two and opened the second game with a quick start in the first.
Sophomore Nate Montgomery (Lexington, Ind.) picked up a single, followed by another single by freshman Carter Gricus (Scottsburg, Ind.).
This was then followed by a two-out RBI single by sophomore Corbin Napier (Indianapolis, Ind.) to put the Blazers on the board early and give VU a quick 1-0 lead.
Lincoln Land would get on the board in the second inning, jumping on the Blazers with six runs to take a 6-1 advantage.
The Loggers continued to add to their lead with a pair of runs in the third and put the game away with a big seven run fourth to increase their lead to 15-1.
Vincennes again looked for some late offense and extend the game were unable to push another run across as Lincoln Land came away with the win in game two 15-1 over the Blazers.
Sophomore JD Bowser (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) got the start in game two for the Blazers, throwing two and one-third innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits and striking out two.
Freshman Jacob Allen (Vincennes, Ind.) came in to close out the third inning, allowing two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.
USI comes up short in seesaw game, 8-6
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball lost a seesaw game with Tennessee Tech University, 8-6, Saturday afternoon in Cookeville, Tennessee. USI is 16-18 overall and 7-4 in the OVC, while TTU goes to 23-13 overall, 8-3 OVC.
USI wasted little time jumping in front of game two, scoring four times on four hits in the opening frame. The Screaming Eagles loaded the bases with the first three hitters before junior leftfielder Patrick McLellan put USI out in front with an RBI single left field for the 1-0 lead.
Junior first baseman Kannon Coakley sent the lead to 3-0 with a two-run single up the middle before junior shortstop Clayton Slack finished the scoring at 4-0 with a sacrifice fly. TTU would respond with three runs of its own in the bottom of the first to close the gap to 4-3 and took the lead, 5-3, with two more in the second.
USI would rebound to retake the lead, 6-5, with a pair of tallies in the top of the fourth. Junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens broke an 0-for-6 string in the series with an RBI single to center field to tie the game, 5-5, while McLellan struck again with an RBI infield single for the 6-5 advantage.
The Screaming Eagles’ lead would last until the bottom of the fifth when TTU scored three times on three hits to take an 8-6 lead and chase USI junior starting right-hander Blake Kimball. Kimball (4-4) would eventually take the loss after allowing eight runs on six hits and two walks in four-plus innings.
TTU would shut the USI offense down for the next four frames, allowing only one hit and two base runners to close out the 8-6 final.
On the mound, USI junior right-hander Andres Gonzalez had a strong appearance in his game out of the bullpen. Gonzalez kept USI close by throwing three scoreless innings and striking out three.
Southern Indiana comes up short in series opener at Eastern Illinois
CHARLESTON, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Softball tried to climb back from a five-run deficit in the series opener at Eastern Illinois University on Saturday, but the Screaming Eagles came up short to the Panthers by a final score of 5-2.
Eastern Illinois (20-17, 12-3 OVC), who entered the weekend in first place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Southern Indiana (10-19, 7-7 OVC) got a quality chance to score with two runners in scoring position in the top of the third inning but could not convert on the opportunity. The Panthers went on to increase their lead to 5-0 on a pair of home runs in the bottom of the third.
After a couple of more hits in the fourth for USI did not pan out into runs, the Screaming Eagles cashed in with two runs in the top of the fifth to chip away at the five-run deficit. USI organized some two-out momentum, loading the bases. Freshman third baseman Jordan Mackey singled up the middle to bring two runs home and pull Southern Indiana within three. USI would load the bases again later in the frame, but Eastern Illinois was able to get out of the jam.
Following the five runs through three innings, senior pitcher Josie Newman settled in for Southern Indiana and posted zeroes the rest of the way. However, the Screaming Eagles were unable to close in any further on the Panthers.
Southern Indiana totaled six hits with senior infielder Whitley Hunter and Mackey tallying two hits each. Mackey collected two RBIs on the fifth-inning hit. Newman (6-12) went all six innings pitched with nine strikeouts and allowed five runs off four hits.
Eastern Illinois’ sophomore pitcher McKenzie Oslanzi (11-10) recorded the win after 4.2 innings of work with two runs surrendered and five strikeouts. Junior pitcher Karlie McKenzie was credited with her fourth save of the season after pitching the final 2.1 innings.
Southern Indiana and Eastern Illinois will clash again on Sunday in a doubleheader to wrap up the weekend series. Sunday’s action starts at Noon, which can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Additional coverage can be found at usiscreamingeagles.com.
Aces baseball falls in second game to Illinois State
The Purple Aces had seven hits in the loss
NORMAL, Ill. – The offense struggled to get going on Saturday afternoon in the University of Evansville baseball team’s 7-1 loss to the Illinois State Redbirds.
The Purple Aces competed in an almost opposite game from its first of the series against Illinois State in a low-scoring affair. UE’s offense only had seven hits over nine innings, with three batters connecting on all but one of the team’s hits. Outfielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS), infielder Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley), and infielder Jake McGhee (Fenton, Mo. / Christian Brothers Academy) all had two hits each on the afternoon.
“Back-to-back series losses on the road is tough, but we haven’t earned it over the last two weekends,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll. “We need to play well tomorrow to showcase this great conference on national TV. I’m ready to see a complete competitive game out of this club.”
Both teams were held scoreless in the first two innings as the Redbird and Evansville defense shined. The Aces turned their 20th double play of the season in the bottom of the second as third baseman Drew Howard (Ferdinand, Ind. / Forest Park HS) was part of all three outs. Howard slid in for a bunt lineout and got the out at third on the double play with an assist to first to end the inning.
After getting two hits in the top of the second, Evansville’s bats went quiet for the top of the third. Illinois State took the early lead in the bottom of the third with four straight hits. The Redbirds had three singles to score the first run of the game. And then first baseman Judah Morris hit a three-run homer to make it a 4-0 score for Illinois State.
The Aces had two on base in the fourth as catcher Matt Flaherty (Lake Zurich, Ill. / Bellarmine) led off the inning with a hit by pitch and McGinnis put a single into right center. But UE’s next three batters went down in order, sending the defense back out onto the field. The Redbirds added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs on five hits with four straight hits to begin the frame.
Evansville scored its lone run of the game in the top of the fifth. A lead off walk to shortstop Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo. / Blue Springs HS), followed by a single from Howard, had a runner in scoring position for the Aces. Rumsey then connected on his second hit of the afternoon with a double down the right field line to score McConnell, making it a 7-1 game.
That would remain the final score as neither team brought a run home in the final four innings of the afternoon. UE left two runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh, as the top of the seventh was the last time either team got close to scoring another run.
Evansville will try to close out the series with a win on linear television on Sunday afternoon. The Aces’ third game at Illinois State will be broadcast on ESPNU, the first of two linear games for UE this season. First pitch for Sunday’s series finale is set for 1:30 p.m. from Duffy Bass Field.
Livingston, Pickett pace Eagles at SIUE
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.—Sophomores Sara Livingston and Ahmira Pickett posted top-six finishes in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to lead University of Southern Indiana Women’s Track & Field to a ninth-place finish at the Cougar Classic Saturday.
Livingston raced to a fifth-place placement, crossing the finish line in 12 minutes, 3.16 seconds, while Pickett was sixth with a time of 12:09.77.
As a team, the Screaming Eagles finished with eight points. Senior Katie Winkler aided USI’s scoring efforts with an eighth-place finish in the 3,000-meters.
USI returns to action Wednesday, Thursday and Friday when it competes at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California.
USI Track Recap: Record performances for USI men
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.—University of Southern Indiana Men’s Track & Field used a strong effort in the 3,000 meters to earn a seventh-place finish at the Cougar Classic Saturday.
Sophomore Landen Swiney set an outdoor school record in the 3,000 meters, crossing the finish line in second place with a time of eight minutes, 40.96 seconds.
The Screaming Eagles had six of the top eight finishes in the 3,000 meters to account for 27 of their 28 points.
Freshmen James Haggerty and Kyle Kern respectively placed third and fourth in the event. The duo also surpassed the former outdoor record of 8:47.32, which was set by Will Hogston at the 2012 WKU Hilltopper Relays. Haggerty’s time of 8:41.95 is a new USI outdoor freshman record in the 3,000 meters.
Junior Mukal Verma finished fifth, while sophomore Joe Schwartz and freshman Blake Smith rounded out the scoring for the Eagles in the 3,000 meters with respective finishes of sixth and eighth.
Freshman Alan Marshall also scored for USI with an eighth-place finish in the 1,500 meters.
USI returns to action Wednesday, Thursday and Friday when it competes at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California.