EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Lewis traveled to Southern Indiana for a Great Lakes Valley Conference baseball doubleheader on Saturday (April 23). The teams traded shutouts with USI winning 4-0 in the opener and the Flyers bouncing back to win the nightcap 1-0.

"I'm happy with a split against a quality road opponent like USI," Lewis head coach Tim McDonough said. "Especially considering we scored one run all day."

Game One – Southern Indiana 4, Lewis 0 (HTML Box | PDF Box)
Southern Indiana earned a game one win on the backs of starting pitcher Colin Nowak. He went six innings, allowing no runs on five hits for the win (4-2). T.J. Decker threw the final three scoreless innings for the save.

"Credit their pitchers but our hitters need to make some adjustments tomorrow," McDonough said. "I'm confident they will."

Southern Indiana only out-hit Lewis by one hit, 8-7. But the power of timely hits ended up being the difference as USI pushed two across in both the fourth and the seventh.

Seniors Austin Mastela (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) and Kurt Becker (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) each had two hits for Lewis.

Lewis starter junior Alex Shake (Glasford, Ill./Canton) threw 6.2 innings. He is 4-3 with the loss. He gave up seven hits and four runs (two earned).

Game Two – Lewis 1, Southern Indiana 0 (HTML Box | PDF Box)
The Flyers responded with a shutout of their own in the nightcap. Junior Sam Couch (Bolingbrook, Ill./Joliet Catholic) went all seven innings for the win. He surrendered only three hits and didn't give up a hit until the fourth inning.

"Sam really stepped up today when we needed it," McDonough said. "He was in command all game."

Lewis' only run of the game came with two outs in the sixth when senior Austin Mastela (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) scored from third on a wild pitch.

Couch worked around a one-out double in the seventh to secure the win. He is now 2-2. Lucas Barnett went the distance for USI. He is 4-4 with the loss.

USI moves to 24-15 (12-6 GLVC). Lewis is 21-16 (10-8 MIVA). The two clubs will play another doubleheader on Sunday at noon.