The University of Southern Indiana baseball team got back in the win column with an 8-2 victory over Notre Dame College (Ohio) Saturday afternoon in game four of the Dunn Hospitality Invitational. USI is 2-3 to start the spring, while NDC goes to 1-3 in 2017.
The Screaming Eagles jumped out in front with a four-run second inning. Senior rightfielder Cody Montgomery (Shepherdsville, Kentucky) started the scoring with a swinging-bunt RBI-single to score junior third baseman Sam Griggs (Evansville, Indiana) for the 1-0 lead.
USI junior second baseman Joe Redburn (Newburgh, Indiana) followed with a two RBI-double to left, while junior centerfielder Buddy Johnson (Shelbyville, Kentucky) finished the four-run frame with an RBI-single and the 4-0 lead. The Eagles would extend the lead to 5-0 in the fifth when junior shortstop Angel Torres (Puerto Rico) scored on a wild pitch after tripling with one out.
After Notre Dame cut the lead to 5-2 in the sixth, USI sealed the game with a three-run eighth inning for the 8-2 final. The three-run outburst in the eighth was highlighted by the two-run double by junior first baseman Nick Gobert (Jasper, Indiana) with one out.
On the mound, senior right-hander Colin Nowak (Carol Stream, Illinois) posted his first win of the season. Nowak allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits and three walks, while striking out four in six innings of work.
Freshman right-hander Tyler Hagedorn (Evansville, Indiana), senior right-hander Mike Ringer (Springfield, Illinois), and senior right-hander Justin Watts (Bryan, Ohio) finished the game on the mound for the Eagles, each throwing a scoreless inning.
The Eagles returns to the road next week when they travel to Trevecca Nazarene University for a three-game series March 3-4. Game time Friday in Nashville is 6 p.m., while the Saturday doubleheader is set of 4:30 p.m.
