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Aces baseball doesn’t overcome Lipscomb comeback in extra innings

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Aces baseball doesn’t overcome Lipscomb comeback in extra innings
It took 13 innings and over four hours to get to a final score
NASHVILLE – The University of Evansville baseball team held the lead twice on Tuesday afternoon but was unable to stop a furious comeback by the Lipscomb Bison in an 11-10 loss in 13 innings.
The Purple Aces bats came alive on Tuesday after a quiet weekend in Little Rock. But struggles on defense and on the mound didn’t get UE across the finish line to its first win of 2025. Starters Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS), Kevin McCormick (Orland Park, Ill. / St. Lawrence HS), and Drew Howard (Ferdinand, Ind. / Ferdinand HS) all had three hits each for Evansville. While McCormick led the Aces in extra-base hits with a double and his first career home run.
“We clearly need to learn how to win,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll following the game. “Not playing complimentary baseball is all facets of the game.”
UE’s bats got started early on Tuesday loading the bases in the top of the first with two hits and a walk. But a ground out into a double play ended Evansville’s early threat. Lipscomb took the early lead in the bottom of the first scoring two unearned runs on a sacrifice fly and a throwing error from third to first base.
In the second inning, Ace’s lead-off hitter Charlie Longmeier (Seymore, Ind. / Seymore HS) reached first on an error and soon found himself at third after back-to-back singles. UE’s next two at-bats resulted in two outs with the bases loaded. Senior right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) took advantage of the situation with a single to third that scored Evansville’s first run of the game.
The Bison answered back in the bottom of the second with another run of their own to regain a two-run lead. Both teams’ bats were quieter over the next two innings as the Aces went down in order and Lipscomb added a hit in the fourth. UE’s offense returned in the fifth as the Bison put a new pitcher on the mound.
 A lead-off walk for Rumsey and a long groundout put the speedy center fielder at second base. Senior second baseman Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley) then placed a long single into center field between all three Lipscomb outfielders giving Rumsey enough time to cross home plate. McGinnis hit would be Evansville’s last of the inning, but the defense took down the Bison in order to keep it a one-run game going into the sixth inning.
The Aces put together their first multi-run inning in the top of the sixth as sophomore Aaron Nehls (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) pinch-hit for Longmeier. Nehls began with a lead-off single to left. He would come home on the next at-bat as McCormick smacked a home run over the right field wall for UE’s first lead of the afternoon. Howard followed up McCormick’s homer with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice hit. Taubert hit his second RBI single of the game shortly after as Howard made it a two-run game.
Lipscomb wasn’t able to respond as Evansville had another big offensive inning in the top of the eighth. The Aces scored three more runs in the eighth as two runners scored on errors, and one came in on a sacrifice fly from Taubert. UE added another insurance run in the top of the ninth as Nehls put together a single and a stolen base early. McCormick would then send him home again with his first double of the season.
Heading into the bottom of the ninth with a sixth-run lead, things began to fall apart for Evansville on defense. The Bison loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth through walks with only one out on the board and capitalized by scoring three runs on a single, a walk, and a sacrifice fly. Lipscomb pushed the game to extra innings with a three-run homer over the scoreboard in right field before the Aces got the third out of the inning.
Neither team found the tying or the winning run over the next three innings. Both teams put at least one runner at third from the 10th through the 12th but neither brought those runner’s home. UE had a strong start to the top of the 13th as Rumsey took first after being hit by a pitch. He then stole his second base of the day to move into scoring position.
Evansville’s next at bat was a strikeout but was followed by a walk to McGinnis. With runners on shortstop Brodie Pert (Markham, Ontario, Canada) connected on his first hit of the season, a single to right center. The throw-in by the Bison was off, allowing Rumsey to score and break the tie. While the Aces two runners got into scoring position with one out on the miscalculated throw. But UE’s next two batters went down in order, heading into the bottom of the 13th leading by only one run.
Errors at short and on a passed ball to start the bottom of the 13th had Evansville facing a runner in scoring position early. Lipscomb’s next batter walked and both runners advanced as the Aces went for the out at first. With two runners in scoring position, UE intentionally walked the next Bison batter to set up a potential double play to end the game.
Lipscomb’s final batter hit a ground ball to third, putting Evansville in a position to get the double play. While the Aces got the second out at second base, an overthrow to first for the final out allowed the Bison to score both the tying run and the winning walk-off run. UE falls to 0-4 after the extra innings loss while Lipscomb improved to 2-1.
Evansville used six pitchers on Tuesday with sophomore right-hander Kellen Roberts (Monroe, Mich. / Monroe HS) getting the longest appearance at four innings with two hits, no runs, and five strikeouts. Freshman right-hander Jack Clevidence (Ankeny, Iowa / Ankeny HS) would be credited with the loss as he pitched all 3.2 extra innings in his first collegiate appearance. Clevidence ended his first outing with two hits, one earned run, two walks, and one putout.
The Aces are scheduled to play their first home game of 2025 this weekend. UE will open at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium on Friday night against Southern Indiana, weather permitting. First pitch on Friday against the Screaming Eagles is set for 6 p.m.
-www.gopurpleaces.com-

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