Facing being swept for the first time all season, the University of Evansville baseball team reignited at the plate and on the hill, rolling over Xavier, 10-2, Sunday at Hayden Field.
UE grabbed the early lead on highly-touted Major League draft prospect Conor Grammes, striking for a pair of runs in the third inning, as sophomore first baseman Tanner Craig ripped an RBI double to center, scoring junior right fielder Troy Beilsmith. Freshman second baseman Danny Borgstrom followed that up with a single to the gap in right-center, bringing in Craig from second, giving Evansville a 2-0 lead.
Senior left-hand pitcher Alex Weigand got the start for the Aces, and he had to play escape artist while tossing four shutout innings to open the game. In the second, Weigand got out of a bases loaded jam, unscathed, then stranded a pair of Musketeers in the third and fourth frames.
Xavier would finally get on the scoreboard in the fifth, however Weigand limited the damage to a single tally. and when he left the game after five frames, Evansville still held a 2-1 lead. For the day, Weigand had given up one run on six hits, while striking out six. Senior right-hander Justin Hayden would come in in relief.
The UE bats would heat up in the seventh inning, Tanner Craig continued his big day at the plate, stroking an RBI double down the right field line, scoring TroyBeilsmith once again. Then, Danny Borgstrom would once again deliver, driving in Craig with a run-scoring to down the right field line, as well, giving Evansville a 4-1 advantage.
In the eighth inning, the Aces would erupt for four more runs, beginning with freshman left fielder A.J. Fritz driving in senior pinch hitter Matt Jones with an RBI single to center. After an error allowed yet another tally, junior shortstop Craig Shepherd would bring in Fritz on an RBI lace to left. A wild pitch later in the inning would score Tanner Craig from third, giving UE a massive 8-1 advantage.
As for Hayden, who was making his first appearance in nearly a month, he tossed a pair of shut out innings, before yielding a single tally in the eighth. He would go three innings in all, allowing one run, on one hit, while striking out four.
In the ninth, Evansville would load up the bases, then put one run across when Troy Beilsmith got hit by a pitch, then another on Tanner Craig’s sacrifice fly to left, making it 10-2 Aces.
Senior Austin Allinger would come into close out the game in the ninth, striking out a pair in the process.
The victory moves the Aces to 10-9 on the season, while Xavier drops to 8-14 with the loss.
Evansville is back in action Wednesday night at Charles H. Braun Stadium, when they play host to SIU-Edwardsville. First pitch is at 6 p.m.
