The Purple Aces will host the Hoosiers later this season
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It was a close game on Tuesday night between the University of Evansville baseball team and the Indiana Hoosiers in their first of two meetings this season.
The Purple Aces kept things close with the Hoosiers at Bart Kaufman field. But two long balls late in the game were the deciding factor in the 7-4 Indiana win on Tuesday. Five different UE batters had a hit in 32 at-bats as junior Drew Howard (Ferdinand, Ind. / Forest Park HS) led Evansville with two hits.
It was a pitcher’s dual early in Bloomington as there was only one hit in the first two innings from either team. Each team had at least a runner on base, but the defenses stepped up as the Aces turned their ninth double play of the season. It was the Hoosiers who struck first in their own park as a lead off bunt in the third turned into a run on a fielding error later in the inning. Indiana’s only other hit of the third also scored a run making it a 2-0 game.
Both teams made pitching changes on the mound in the third as the bullpens got plenty of work on Tuesday. Each team threw at least six pitchers in their midweek contest. Right-hander Max Hansmann (Elmhurst, Ill. / York HS) struck out three of the four batters he faced for UE in just under two innings to keep the score at 2-0 heading into the top of the fifth.
Evansville’s first hit of the night was a leadoff triple from designated hitter Aaron Nehls (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) to begin the fifth inning. Nehls scored two batters later as catcher Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence HS) put a ball into the infield, giving Nehls time to beat the throw at home. The Hoosiers were able to answer in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on a single and a walk for a 4-1 lead.
The Aces offensive spark from the fifth continued into the top of the sixth with back-to-back hits. A wild pitch from IU pitcher Seth Benes, son of former Evansville pitcher Adam Benes, scored center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) to cut the Indiana lead in half. UE quickly made it only a one-run game as a sacrifice fly to center field from Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind. / Seymour HS) scored right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC).
Evansville’s defense was able to hold off the Hoosiers in the bottom of the sixth with its 10th double play of the year to end the inning. Howard led off the seventh with a bunt to reach first base and got to third in the next two at-bats on a ground out and a fly out. Indiana walked Taubert to put runners at the corners for the Aces with two outs on the board.
Second baseman Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley) put a single into center field to score Howard tying the game up at four runs apiece. But the top of the seventh ended shortly after as McGinnis tried to stretch his single to a double and was tagged for the third out just before second base. The game didn’t remain tied for long as IU led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run to make it 5-4 as their next three batters went down in order.
UE’s offense went down in order in the top of the eighth as the Hoosiers returned to a multi-run lead in the bottom of the inning. After walking the first Indiana batter relief pitcher RJ James (Toronto, Canada) got the next two on pop-outs. But the fourth batter James faced hit a home run out to center field making it a 7-4 game. Evansville got a strikeout on the next batter ending the inning for their last chance on offense.
Howard connected on his second hit of the night for the Aces in the ninth with a single through the right side. The speedy infielder stole his fourth base of the season getting to second with two outs on the board. But a tipped third strike ended the game at Bart Kaufman Field in Indiana’s favor 7-4.
UE begins Missouri Valley Conference action this week. Evansville will start conference play at Murray State on Friday evening for three matchups with the Racers. First pitch from Johnny Reagan Field on March 21 is set for 5 p.m. and will be the Aces’ first game on the radio heard on WJPS.
