University of Southern Indiana Baseball dropped the series finale to ninth-ranked Ashland University, 8-3, Sunday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles move their record to 4-5 overall, while Ashland goes to 5-1 after the win.
The Screaming Eagles took the early lead in the first inning, 1-0, on an RBI-double down the right field line by sophomore third baseman Lucas McNew, scoring sophomore leftfielder Austin Moody from first. The Ashland Eagles bounced back to take their first lead of the game, 2-1, with a two-run third.
USI knotted the game at 2-2 when freshman centerfielder Steven Molinet doubled to lead off the bottom half of the inning before scoring on a throwing error by Ashland that allowed Moody to reach.
The tie would be short lived as Ashland would post a four-spot in the top half of the fourth to take control, 6-2. The Screaming Eagles rebounded to cut the deficit to 6-3 when senior rightfielder Manny Lopez doubled in Moody with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.
Ashland got the run back with change in the top of the sixth with a two-run home run to post a five-run advantage, 8-3. Both sets of Eagles would go scoreless the rest the way the 8-3 final.
USI senior left-hander Paul Perez took the loss for the Eagles. Perez (0-2) allowed three runs on three hits and four walks, while striking out three in three-plus inning of work. Freshman right-hander Chase Rudy followed Perez to the mound, allowing three runs in a third of inning, while sophomore right-hander Luke Johnston allowed the final two runs on five hits in 2.2 frames.
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI hit the road for the next five games, including the 2020 Great Lakes Valley Conference opening series versus the University of Illinois Springfield, March 7-8, in Springfield. The road trip concludes with a non-conference visit Florida when the Eagles make a stop at University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida, for two-series March 10-11.
USI leads the all-time series with Illinois Springfield, 22-11, after being swept by the Prairie Stars last season on the road. The Stars have had the upper hand the last three seasons, taking nine of the last 11 meetings.
The Eagles trail the all-time series with West Florida, 2-0, after losing both games of a series in 2018 in Pensacola.
