ST. LOUIS, Mo. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball lost the first game of a four-game road swing, falling at Saint Louis University, 13-8, Tuesday afternoon in St. Louis, Missouri. USI is 14-19 overall, SLU goes to 22-8.
The Screaming Eagles trailed 1-0 after two innings, but made their first comeback to tie the score, 1-1, on a RBI-double by senior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) in the top of third. The tie was short lived as the Billikens scored a run in the bottom of the third to regain the lead and extended the margin to 5-1 with a three-run fourth.
USI climbed back into the game with a four-run sixth inning to tie the contest, 5-5. Junior third baseman Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela) singled in the second run of the game for USI, while junior second baseman Lane Crowden (Jackson, Missouri) tied the score for a second time with a three-run blast to left center. The home run was Crowden’s second of the season.
SLU took the momentum back in the bottom of the sixth, retaking the lead, 7-5, with a pair of tallies. The Billikens would extend the margin to 8-5 with another run in the bottom of the seven.
The eighth inning would seal the Eagles’ fate as the Billikens posted five runs for the final on a 13-5 decision.
USI junior right-hander Adam Weihe (Louisville, Kentucky) took the loss in relief for the Eagles. Weihe (0-2) allowed two runs on two hits and a hit batter in a third of an inning.
Up Next for the Eagles:
The Eagles resume OVC action and the road trip April 12-14 at Southeast Missouri State University for a three-game set. Game times are 6 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. Saturday; and 1 p.m. Sunday.
SEMO, which is 15-17 overall and 6-3 in the OVC, plays at Southern Illinois University tonight. The Redhawks have lost four of the last six entering tonight’s action at SIU.
USI leads the all-time series with SEMO, 27-25, but lost of two of three with the Redhawks last year at the USI Baseball Field.
