Three Aces homer in loss at South Alabama

 

MOBILE, Ala. – Three University of Evansville baseball players recorded their first home run of the season on Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a big first inning from South Alabama as the Purple Aces dropped an 18-5 decision to the host Jaguars at Stanky Field.

“We weren’t ready to compete this weekend, and that falls back on me,” UE head coach Wes Carroll said. “We were were beat in every aspect of the game. This team showed a lot of fight in the fall, and there’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll bounce back in practice and compete this week in order to be ready for next weekend.”

The Jaguars (3-0) got to Aces starting pitcher Brandon Gomer quickly, scoring seven runs in the opening frame to put the UE behind for good. The freshman out of Lenexa, Kan., allowed five hits in the frame and was pegged with the loss in his Aces debut.

UE (0-3) attempted to answer the call in the ensuing half-inning as Shain Showers uncorked a three-run blast to left field to cut the deficit down to four. However, the momentum wouldn’t last long as the hosts tacked on two runs apiece in the third and fifth innings to take an 11-3 edge into the sixth.

Showers would end the day as one of two Aces hitters to register multiple hits, going 2-for-4 at the plate with three runs batted in, but he was bettered by his USA counterpart in Drew LaBounty, who ended 4-for-4 with seven RBI and three runs.

Both Boomer Synek and Jonathan Ramon homered in the top of the sixth, but a five-run bottom-half re-established control for the Jaguars, who would add two more in the seventh to account for the final score.

Jaguars reliever James Traylor was credited with the victory after allowing just one run over 3.2 innings.

UE will continue its current seven-game season-opening road swing next weekend as the Aces take off for South Carolina to take on USC Upstate, Wofford and Monmouth.

NOTES: UE is 2-4 all-time vs. South Alabama and 6-10 against schools based in Alabama since 1978 … The Aces had won each of their past two season opening series, sweeping past Lipscomb in 2014 and taking two of three from UALR a year ago … Overall, UE is now 28-32 in season-opening series since 1978.