TULSA, Okla. – University of Evansville freshman left-hander Kenton Deverman struck out eight men in 6.0 innings of relief work on Saturday, and UE graduate students Chase Hug and Mark Shallenberger launched three-run home runs, as the Purple Aces pounded out a 14-3 victory at #26 Oral Roberts to even the season-opening series at one-game apiece.
“What a great response from our ballclub today to even up this series,†said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “I knew we would get this type of effort from our guys with the experience that we have, and for a freshman like Kenton Deverman to compete like he did was really special to see.
“It really sets up a big game for both of our programs tomorrow. We both have some pretty high expectations, and for us to get a season-opening series win against a quality opponent like this would be huge for us. So, we need to come out ready for a battle and ready to compete.â€
The Golden Eagles, ranked #26 in the NCBWA preseason poll and receiving votes in the USA Today/Coaches Preseason Poll, came out of the gates hot early, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning off of UE starter Nick Smith to take a 2-0 lead.
The lead would not last long though for ORU, as Evansville would answer back in the top of the third inning thanks to some wildness and the bat of Chase Hug. After the inning opened with back-to-back hit-batters, Hug crushed a long home run over the bullpen in right field for his first home run of the year to give UE a 3-2 lead.
From there, Deverman took over in relief on a cold day in Tulsa, and he shut down a potent Oral Roberts attack. After yielding a single to left field by reigning all-regional player Holden Breeze in his first collegiate at-bat, Deverman recorded eight-straight outs to silence the Golden Eagles’ bats. Evansville would then explode for six runs in the fifth inning to make life easier on the mound for the freshman.
Evansville worked three walks to load the bases to begin the frame. Then, after a pair of run-scoring wild pitches by the ORU bullpen, graduate catcher Brendan Hord knocked the first of two run-scoring doubles on the afternoon to give UE a 6-2 lead. After another hit-by-pitch by ORU, Shallenberger then launched a mammoth three-run home run to deep right field to give UE a 9-2 lead.
UE would tack on five more runs in the seventh inning, powered by a run-scoring ground out by Hug, an RBI single by senior right fielder Kip Fougerousse, an RBI double by junior second baseman Cal McGinnis, and a two-run double by Hord to push the lead to 14-2. Deverman would yield his only run of the afternoon on a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, but he earned the win in his collegiate debut, holding Oral Roberts to a single run on five hits in 6.0 innings of work, while striking out eight.
Offensively, Hug went 1-for-4 with two run scored, a home run and four RBI, while Shallenberger and Hord both had two hits and drove in three. Fougerousse and McGinnis also had two-hit days for UE. Evansville out-hit Oral Roberts once again, 12-8, on the afternoon.
The rubber match of the three-game series will take place on Sunday at 1 p.m. at ORU’s J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Freshman left-hander Kevin Reed will get the start for UE in his collegiate debut.
