MOREHEAD, Ky. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball was outslugged by Morehead State University, 18-9, Saturday afternoon in Morehead, Kentucky. USI is 12-15 overall and 3-3 in the OVC, while MSU goes to 16-12, 3-3 OVC.
USI junior third baseman Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela) put the Screaming Eagles into the lead, 2-0, in the top of the second with a two-run blast to right field. The home run was Van Grieken’s first of the season. The 2-0 USI lead would last until the bottom half of the inning when MSU tied the score with a two-run home run of its own.
The Screaming Eagles regained the advantage, 5-2, in the top of the third with a three-spot. USI junior centerfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen (Sioux City, Iowa) led of the frame with his third home run of the year for a 3-2 lead, while junior rightfielder Adam Euler (Evansville, Indiana) pushed a run across with a sacrifice fly and junior second baseman Lane Crowden (Jackson, Missouri) singled in the fifth USI run of the game.
The momentum would shift back to MSU as it would score twice in the bottom of the third to close the gap to 5-4 and surged into the lead, 11-5, with a seven-run fourth and 14-5 on three additional runs in the fifth.
It would be USI’s turn to close the gap in the top of the sixth. USI freshman leftfielder Ethan Rothschild (Evansville, Indiana) started the rally by scoring on a fielding error before senior designated hitter Jack Ellis (Jeffersonville, Indiana) hit a three-run bomb to make the score 14-9. The Ellis home run was his team-best sixth of the season.
The MSU Eagles would seal their win with four runs in the bottom of the eighth and the 18-9 final score.
USI junior right-hander Gavin Morris (Brazil, Indiana) started and took the loss on the mound. Morris (3-2) gave up eight runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out five in three frames of work.
