EVANSVILLE, Ind. — With a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament hanging in the balance, the University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles kicked off their final regular-season series with a statement win Thursday afternoon, taking game one against Lindenwood in an 8-4 thriller.

The Lions came out swinging, jumping to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. But the Screaming Eagles showed their resilience, answering back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the second to knot things up at 2-2. Lindenwood regained the edge in the top of the third, putting another run on the board to make it 3-2.

From there, it was all Southern Indiana. The Eagles began chipping away from the fifth inning onward, but the real fireworks came in the seventh. A massive four-run frame put USI firmly in control, stretching the lead to five runs and putting the Lions on their heels. Lindenwood managed to scratch across a late run in the ninth, but it was too little, too late as USI closed out the victory.

The win was a crucial one for Southern Indiana, keeping their postseason hopes alive and setting the tone for the rest of the series. The Eagles will look to carry that momentum into game two on Friday, May 15th, with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m.