Aces drop series at Samford

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Evansville baseball team fell in its final game against the Samford Bulldogs in a 13-1 loss.

The Purple Aces had a tough time in their final game against Samford on Sunday afternoon. UE’s offense connected on four hits with five walks while the pitching staff had five strikeouts. Four separate Evansville players had a hit while catcher Matt Flaherty (Lake Zurich, Ill. / Bellarmine) had the only extra-base hit with a double.

The Purple Aces struck first on Sunday afternoon as right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) reached on a fielding error and second baseman Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley) singled up the middle. Taubert scored on the next at-bat as left fielder Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind. / Seymour HS) had his second straight game with a hit on a long single to right center.

The Bulldogs responded immediately, scoring five runs in five at-bats in the bottom of the first. Samford hit two home runs off UE starting pitcher Kevin Reed (Martinsville, Ind. / Martinsville HS) for four runs while a double to left center scored the lead-off walk. After the home runs Reed settled in for Evansville getting a popup and two strikeouts to end the first.

Flaherty had a big start to the second inning for the Aces with only his second double of the season. UE loaded the bases with two walks but with two outs on the board, Evansville didn’t find the hit to bring a run in as McGinnis ground out to second. Samford made it a six-run ballgame in the bottom of the second with a sacrifice fly and a third home run. The Aces made a pitching change to close out the second as right-hander Drew Fieger (Fort Mitchell, Ky. / Lincoln Trail CC) helped get two putouts for UE.

Designated hitter Aaron Nehls (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) had Evansville’s fourth hit of the day in the top of the third after the inning began with two outs. Nehls had a single to short and reached second base on a wild pitch. A dropped third strike stranded the sophomore at second to go to the bottom of the third inning.

The Bulldogs added their eighth run in the bottom of the third on two singles a ground out and a fly out. The Aces had a walk and a stolen base in the top of the fourth while the defense shut down Samford with its first three up and three down inning of the game. UE’s defense also took down the Bulldogs without a run in the fifth on its eighth double play of the year. Evansville’s offense went down in order in the top of the sixth while Samford added two more runs.

Heading into the seventh down by nine runs the Aces were facing a shortened game. UE started the inning with center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) getting hit by a pitch to get on base. Rumsey made it around to third on a wild pitch and a passed ball as Evansville’s next two batters struck out. The Aces got two more runners on to load the bases but as happened in the second a groundout ended UE’s chance at scoring.

Evansville made defensive changes in the outfield as Rumsey’s hit by pitch earlier was a hard hit to the leg. The Aces defense began the bottom of the seventh with a lineout to shortstop Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo. / Blue Springs HS). But the Bulldogs took the game in its next three at-bats as their fifth home run of the game scored three runs.

UE returns to its home state for a midweek game on Tuesday at Indiana. Evansville will take on the Hoosiers in the first game of a home-and-home series on March 18. First pitch from Bart Kaufman Field is set for 5 p.m. CT.

-www.gopurpleaces.com-