The USI baseball team hosted the University of Evansville Aces for a non-conference matchup Wednesday, April 22 at USI Baseball field. The weather was excellent, mid-70s and sunny for a cross-town rivalry game, the first of two this season. 

The Aces opened the game with tremendous energy and composure, scoring three-runs in the first inning against Jake Porter, senior pitcher. This was not aided by a throwing error from Southern Indiana’s third baseman, Parker Martin, junior infielder, which could have made a difference in limiting Evansville’s scoring. 

Despite the early run for the Aces, Porter was able to get the game under control, and pitched two subsequent scoreless innings, and struck out two batters.

Martin made up for this error in the third inning, hitting a single to third base and hustling to first base to beat out the throw. 

This hit advanced Patrick McLellan, senior outfielder, to third base, bringing runners within scoring position. Micajah Wall, senior catcher starting at designated hitter, singled to center field, scoring both players to cut the deficit to 2-3.  

In the top of the fourth, Caydon Laird, sophomore pitcher, entered the game for Southern Indiana and pitched a strong inning, albeit hitting a batter. 

However, he did strike out one and ultimately got out of the inning clean. 

After a hitless inning for the Screaming Eagles, Abdriel Figueroa, junior pitcher, was called upon to see out the fifth inning. 

Figueroa’s performance started a bit shaky, as he walked the first batter and gave up a single to the left side. However, he was able to get out of the jam after striking out two batters and drawing a flyout to end the inning. 

The Screaming Eagles struck again in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Micajah Wall hit a three-run double down the left side, scoring Noah Foster, graduate infielder, Clayton Slack, senior infielder and McLellan, which gave Southern Indiana a 5-3 lead. 

The Screaming Eagles added to the lead when Drue Saenz, junior catcher, hit a sacrifice fly to center field, which brought in Wall for the Eagles’ sixth run, adding to the lead. 

Following Figueroa’s eventful inning, USI baseball Head Coach Chris Ramirez brought Brady Watts, junior pitcher, into the game to ensure that the Aces didn’t respond to the Screaming Eagles’ scoring run. 

Watts did exactly that, as he struck out two batters and forced a groundout in a calm inning of work. 

After Watt’s strong inning, the Screaming Eagles went on a scoring fiesta in the bottom of the sixth. 

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Eagles scored eight runs, which began when McLellan hit a single down the right side, scoring Dane DeWees, junior outfielder. 

On the next at-bat, Slack hit a bunt single, which made way for Zion Stephens, junior infielder, to cross the plate. 

In the rest of the inning, Foster, Martin, Saenz, and Hunter Miller, senior outfielder, all contributed runs in the inning that closed out the Aces. 

Headed to the top of the seventh inning, the Aces were in do-or-die territory, as they faced an 11-run deficit. 

To their credit, they jumped on the opportunity, as Southern Indiana brought in a new pitcher, Sage Stout, sophomore pitcher. 

Stout gave up a single, a double, and a walk to the first three batters, which ultimately got him pulled from the game for Mason Bell, senior pitcher, who struck out two batters, but ultimately gave up a ground ball that scored a garbage-time run for the Aces. Following the end of the inning, the game came to a close as the Screaming Eagles ultimately mercy ruled the Aces 14-4.