McCubbin's Blast in 8th Lifts Eagles over USI 4-3 in Series Opener

Morehead, Ky. -- Ian McCubbin delivered a towering liner over the screen in center field in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Morehead State baseball team to a 4-3 win over Southern Indiana in the series opener Friday night at Allen Field in Prefontaine Park in Morehead.
 
Southern Indiana (23-20, 6-10 OVC) plated two runs in the top of the eighth to take a 3-2 lead, it's first advantage of the game, setting up the Eagle heroics.
 
Morehead State (20-21, 6-10 OVC) shortstop Griffin Olson led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a ground-rule double into the right-field corner. McCubbin jumped on the first pitch he saw and drove a liner over the screen in center field that traveled 364 feet and put the Eagles on top 4-3.
 
Alex Miller (1-0) picked up the win. After getting the final two outs of the eighth inning, he pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out the final two batters of the game. Miller allowed one hit, walked one and notched four strikeouts.
 
Eagle starter Callum McGill was solid for MSU. He threw five and one-third innings, allowing one earned run on four hits and two walks. He notched on strikeout.
 
Morehead State got on the scoreboard in the first inning. Left fielder Davis Germann led off and was hit by the first pitch of the game by USI starter Ryan Weller. He scored when McCubbin delivered a two-out single sharply hit up the middle to give the Eagles an early 1-0 lead.
 
MSU added another run in the third inning. Olson drilled a liner high off the screen down the right field line for a two-out triple. He scored on Aubrey Kearns' single up the middle and the Eagles led 2 0.
 
Southern Indiana hit the scoring column in the sixth on a one-out walk followed by a double down the left-field line by USI shortstop Clayton Slack, to chase McGill. MSU reliever Devin Costa enticed a fly ball to left center that was caught by Germann who threw to third base to cut down Slack attempting to advance to end the threat.
 
USI got two runs in the eighth to take the lead. A pair of one-out singles and a wild pitch put runners on second and third. A single by Slack and a safety squeeze bunt by USI left fielder Noah Foster put USI ahead 3-2, setting up McCubbin's heroics.
 
Southern Indiana reliever Andres Gonzalez (1-1) took the loss, giving up McCubbin's homer in the eighth.
 
USI starter Weller was effective, throwing seven innings, allowing two earned runs while scattering five hits and walking three. He notched seven strikeouts.
 
Morehead State and Southern Indiana will get back to action Saturday at Allen Field for game two of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 3:05. Sunday's series finale is scheduled for 1:05.



NOTABLE

• McCubbin went 2-4 at the plate with three runs batted in. It was his 16^th multiple-hit game, and he extended his reached-base streak to 22 games.
• Olson recorded his 13^th multiple-hit game of the season, going 2-4 with a triple and a double.
• Costa threw two innings allowing two earned runs on three hits and struck out one USI batter.
• Kearns went 1-3 in the game with an RBI; he has hit safely in 36 of the Eagles' 41 games.
• Nick Griffith was 1-4 in the game: he's hit safely in 12 of the last 14 games.
• Eagle pitching combined for just three walks in the game against three strikeouts.