EVANSVILLE, Ind. – It took nearly eight hours but Lewis' baseball team was able to take the first two games of its four-game series against Southern Indiana on Saturday at the USI Baseball Field in Evansville, Ind. The Flyers won the first game 10-9 and the nightcap 10-6.
 
Game 1 – Lewis 10 Southern Indiana 9
 
Lewis (13-20-1, 8-10 GLVC) struck first in the bottom of the first scoring two runs on three hits. Thomas Fox (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Christian) led off with a double down the left field line and scored on Joe Preusser's (Orland Park, Ill./Brother Rice) single to left center. After a single by Kevin Barry (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin), Michael Alt's (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) RBI groundout to second base scored Preusser from third making the score 2-0.
 
The Flyers added to their lead in the second scoring three runs on two hits and two errors. Ian Nguyen (Anoka, Minn./Coons Rapids) reached via an error by the pitcher and scored on Patrick Keaty's (South Elgin, Ill./South Elgin) fielder's choice. After a Fox single and a walk by Preusser, David Ascencio (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central) singled to right field to score Keaty. Alt drew a bases loaded walk to score Fox and increase their lead to 5-0.
 
Southern Indiana (15-23, 4-10 GLVC) answered back with one of their own in the third on two hits. After a leadoff walk by Daniel Lopez and a single by Adam Wildeman, an infield single by Evan Kahre scored Lopez from third.
 
Lewis added to its lead in the fourth scoring one run on two hits. Fox led off with a double followed by a walk by Preusser. Barry singled to right field scoring Fox from second making the score 6-1.
 
The Screaming Eagles scored three runs on four hits in the seventh. A leadoff single and a walk followed by a single by Kahre scored Lopez from second making the score 6-2. Lucas McNew singled to right field scoring Alex Archuleta and Ethan Hunter singled to right center scoring Kahre from third to bring USI within two.
 
The Screaming Eagles tied the game in the eighth on two hits. An infield single by Kahre scored Brice Stuteville who pinch ran for Lopez who walked. Tachioka's single up the middle scored Archuleta to tie the game.
 
The Flyers retook the lead in the bottom of the eighth after singles by Ascencio, Alt, and Krol to load the bases. Nguyen's RBI fielder's choice scored Everett who pinch ran for Ascencio.
 
USI took the lead in the ninth scoring three runs on three hits and an error highlighted by Kahre's two-run single through the right side making the score 9-7.
 
Lewis scored three in the bottom of the ninth on four hits. Fox led off with a single, Fitzpatrick walked, and Alt singled to load the bases. Jason Krol's (Chicago, Ill./St. Laurence) two-run single with two outs tied the game at 9-all. Angelo Cantelo's (Blue Island, Ill./Marian Catholic) walk-off pinch hit single to center field scored Alt from third to give Lewis the 10-9 win.
 
The Flyers outhit the Screaming Eagles 17-13 and were led by Fox with four, while Alt and Krol had three each and Barry and Ascencio finished with two apiece. Matt Piento (Indian Head Park, Ill./Lyons) (1-1) picked up the win giving up one hit with a strikeout in 0.2 innings pitched. Carter Stamm (2-2) suffered the loss pitching 2.1 innings giving up four runs on six hits and a walk.
 
Game 2 – Lewis 10 Southern Indiana 6
 
Lewis jumped out to an early lead scoring five runs on three hits and an error in the bottom of the second. Julian Everett (Frankfort, Ill/Lincoln Way East) reached on an error followed by a single by Cherokee Lebeau (Shorewood, Ill./Minooka) and a walk by Fox to load the bases. Preusser drew a bases loaded walk scoring Everett to make it 1-0. Ascencio's two-run double to left center scored Lebeau and Fox. Alt's double to left field scored Ascencio and Preusser making the score 5-0.
 
USI answered back with five of their own on six hits in its half of the third. Ethan Hunter doubled to left field scoring McNew who led off with a double. Coburn singled through the right-side scoring McLarty who singled to the shortstop. Connor's two-run double to left center brought the Screaming Eagles within one. USI tied the score on Archuleta's single up the middle scoring Lopez making it 5-5.
 
The Flyers retook the lead in the third scoring a run on two hits. Everett led off with a single followed by a walk by Keaty. Preusser singled to center field scoring Everett from second giving Lewis a 6-5 lead.
 
The Screaming Eagles tied the game again in the fourth after Hunter led off with a single and scored on McLarty's double to right field tying the game at 6-6.
 
Lewis retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth scoring four runs on one hit and four errors. After Fox walked and Preusser reached via a throwing error by the pitcher, Barry drove in both runners with a single up the middle putting the Flyers up 8-6. Ascencio walked and Alt reached on a throwing error by the pitcher scoring Barry from third. Cantelo reached on a throwing error by the third baseman scoring Ascencio to make the score 10-6.
 
USI saw its first two hitters reach in the seventh via a hit-by-pitch and a walk but Jake Lotz (Palos Hills, Ill./St. Laurence) retired the final three hitters with a strikeout, a flyout and a popup.
 
Lewis was outhit in the nightcap 13-6. Preusser, Barry, Ascencio, Alt, Everett and Lebeau had a hit apiece. Preusser, Barry and Ascencio combined to drive in six of the 10 runs. Lotz pitched the final 1.2 innings allowing no runs with three strikeouts and a walk to improve to 3-1 on the season.
 
The Flyers and Screaming Eagles conclude their four-game series with another doubleheader on Sunday afternoon beginning at 12 p.m. at the USI Baseball Field.