USI holds off St. Thomas, 8-6

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball held off the University of St. Thomas (Minn.), 8-6, Saturday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI is 4-6 to start the season, while St. Thomas goes 4-6.
 
USI jumped out in the bottom of the second when the Screaming Eagles took advantage of three walks and a pair of singles to score twice with two outs. Junior catcher Joe Ricchio (Pleasant Prairie, Illinois) singled in junior first baseman Thomas Emerich (Ava, Missouri), who had walked and stole second, while senior leftfielder Trent Robinson (Louisville, Kentucky) singled in junior second baseman Lane Crowden (Jackson, Missouri), who walked and advanced to second on Ricchio’s base hit.
 
After St. Thomas narrowed the gap to 2-1 with a tally in the top of the third, USI exploded for three more runs to boost the lead to 5-1. Freshman leftfielder Cameron Boyd (Villa Hills, Kentucky) scored on a wild pitch before Ricchio, who was two-for-three with three RBI, struck again with a two-run double to close out the scoring in the third.
 
The Tommies cut the Eagles margin to 5-3 after a un in the top sixth, USI rebound with a run in the bottom half of the frame to re-extend the margin to 6-3. Crowden scored his third run of the game on a sacrifice fly by junior centerfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen (Sioux City, Iowa).
 
USI sealed the victory in the bottom of the seven to lead 8-3. Emerich started the scoring with a RBI-single through the left side, while Crowden pushed the eighth run across with a single to center.
 
The Tommies would sliced the USI lead to 8-6 with a pair of runs in the eighth and one in the ninth before the Eagles closed the door on the 8-6 victory.
 
On the mound, junior right-hander Gavin Seebold (Jeffersonville, Indiana) went five innings in his first start of the year. Seebold (1-1) allowed two runs on seven hits, while striking out four in frames.