The Purple Aces had their second straight game with 10+ hits
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In the first of five straight games in the River City, the University of Evansville baseball team fell 13-3 to the Indiana Hoosiers.
The Purple Aces kept things close against in-state Power Four Indiana through eight innings on Wednesday night. But an eight-run ninth inning for the Hoosiers put the first of four games at Charles H. Braun Stadium out of reach for UE. Evansville was led on offense by center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) with three hits.
“It’s unfortunate the game got away from us in the last two innings,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll following the game. “We had some positives in what was a very close game for seven innings. [Starter Kellen] Roberts and [reliever Jack] Clevidence had good outings to build off of tonight. We have a big weekend ahead of us.”
It was a quick first inning on defense for the Aces with a three-up and three-down frame. Infielder Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley) had the first hit of the game to left, followed by designated hitter Brodie Peart (Markham, Ontario) earning a walk. But both runners were stranded to end the first. IU took an early lead off a solo home run from first baseman Jake Hanley, but it was the only run of the inning for the Hoosiers.
Indiana quickly extended its lead in the third with three runs on two homers to make it a 4-0 game. It was an empty fourth inning for both sides while UE’s defense took down the Hoosiers in order to start the fifth. Right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) hit a double down the left line in the bottom of the fifth to break the shutout and soon scored on a passed ball to give Evansville its first run.
The Aces doubled their score only two at-bats later as Rumsey had his first hit of the night with a single through the left side and stole second base. He crossed home plate on a single to the same spot from left fielder Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind. / Seymour HS) to cut IU’s lead in half to make it a 4-2 contest.
It was a quiet sixth and seventh innings as UE took down the Hoosiers in order for three straight defensive frames. Evansville added a hit in both the sixth and the seventh from Peart and Rumsey, but both runners were left on base. Indiana was able to go back up to a four-run lead in the eighth as they added two runs on a triple and a wild pitch.
The Aces answered in the bottom of the inning as shortstop Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo. / Blue Springs HS) hit a ground rule double to right center that scored catcher Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence HS). But UE left two other runners on base, including Taubert in scoring position at third.
The Hoosiers’ offense came alive in the ninth inning with six hits and eight runs to put the game away. Evansville didn’t go down without a fight, though, as Rumsey, McGinnis, Peart, and Waggoner all had hits in the ninth to score three runs. But the Aces didn’t find another eight runs to send the game into extras, falling to IU 14-6.
UE is back in action at home this weekend in Valley play. Evansville will host Belmont for a three-game series over the weekend starting on Friday night. First pitch for Friday’s game is set for 6 p.m. at Charles H. Braun Stadium.
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