USI baseball sweeps Lewis to get over .500

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - The University of Southern Indiana baseball team swept Lewis University in dramatic fashion, 12-11 and 6-5, Friday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI watches its record go over .500 to 14-13 overall and 6-4 in the GLVC, while Lewis goes to 10-16-1 in 2018, 4-5 GLVC.  
 
USI and Lewis conclude the four-game series Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
 
Game 1: 
The Screaming Eagles rallied from a 7-1 deficit to win the opening game, 12-11, behind the four RBI efforts of senior third baseman/pitcher Nick Gobert (Jasper, Indiana) and designated hitter/third baseman Brodie Brown (Carmi, Illinois).
 
After the Flyers grabbed a 7-1 lead after five-and-a-half frames, USI scored two in the sixth and six in the seventh to take a 9-7 lead. The six-run seventh was highlighted by the two-run bomb by Brown, his second blast of the season.
 
Lewis posted a comeback of its own in the top of the eighth, re-taking the lead, 11-9. The Eagles rallied for a second time with three tallies in the bottom half of the inning with junior first baseman Jaylen Breshears(Evansville, Indiana) knocking in Brown with the winning run on a two-out single.
 
Gobert (3-2) posted his third win of the season by allowing one run on four hits and striking out three in two innings of relief work. He also finished game one at the plate with three hits, two runs scored, and tied for the team-high with four RBIs.
 
Brown also had three hits, two runs scored, the sixth-inning home run, and tied Gobert with four RBIs. He also had a two-run double in the eighth to tie the opener, 11-11.
 
The Eagles started junior right-hander Austin Krizan (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) on the mound. Krizan went the first six innings and allowed seven runs, six earned, on 13 hits, while striking out four in getting the no-decision.
 
Game 2: 
USI scored six unearned runs in the nightcap to complete the doubleheader sweep, 6-5, over Lewis. Junior designated hitter Brodie Brown drove in the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh to give the Eagles the victory, knocking in freshman centerfielder Bryce Krizan (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) after USI loaded the bases with one out.
 
The Eagles led 1-0 after a first inning tally and before the Flyers briefly took a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third. USI rallied with four runs in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of three Lewis errors.
 
The four-run outburst in the fourth was highlighted by a two-run single by senior rightfielder Buddy Johnson (Shelbyville, Kentucky). Johnson led the Eagles at the plate in the nightcap, going two-for-three with two RBIs.
 
Lewis would bounce back with two in the top of the fourth to cut the USI lead to one, 5-4, and tied the game with one in the sixth to set the stage for Brown in the bottom of the seventh.  
 
On the mound, sophomore right-hander Tyler Hagedorn (Evansville, Indiana) picked up the win in relief in game two. Hagedorn (2-2) allowed one run on one hit and one walk and struck out three in two innings of work.
 
Senior right-hander Kyle Griffin (Morganfield, Kentucky) started and got the no-decision. Griffin allowed four runs on five hits and six walks, while striking out nine in five innings of work.

Courtesy: USI Athletics