Aces baseball evens series at Missouri with a 9-5 win
The Purple Aces scored a run for every hit they made on Sunday
COLUMBIA, Mo. – In the final of four games this weekend the University of Evansville baseball team evened its series with the Missouri Tigers in a 9-5 victory.
The Purple Aces led from the third inning on in their final game at Taylor Stadium. Senior outfielders Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) and Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) and designated hitter Jake McGhee (Fenton, Mo. / Christian Brothers College HS) powered the offense with multi-hit days. Taubert went 3-of-5 at the plate with a home run, a double, and a single with five RBIs for his fifth career three-hit game. Starting pitcher Kevin Reed had another big performance on the mound for UE as he picked up his second win of the season through six innings of work with only two runs allowed on 10 hits.
“It was a great team effort today as we played a complete baseball game,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll after the conclusion of the series. “It started on the mound with an outstanding performance from Kevin Reed. We took care of the baseball on defense with multiple double-play balls and a couple of great catches. Taubert had a huge day at the plate and the rest of the lineup really competed today.”
It was a pitchers’ dual early at Taylor Field as only one hitter per team put a ball in play in the first two innings. Reed was dialed in early striking out three of four Missouri batters in the bottom of the second. After two innings with little offense, Evansville’s bats began to come alive in the top of the third.
The Aces’ first two batters didn’t get to first base, but Rumsey connected for a single to center field during his second time up. And Rumsey wouldn’t stay at first for long as just a pitch later Taubert launched a home run into left field to give UE an early 2-0 lead. The Tigers answered with a solo home run of their own in the bottom of the third cutting Evansville’s lead in half.
But the Aces’ offense was ready in the top of the fourth as lead-off batter shortstop Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo. / Blue Springs HS) walked to first. UE then got two singles in a row from infielders Kevin McCormick (Orland Park, Ill. / St. Laurence HS) and Drew Howard (Ferdinand, Ind. / Forest Park HS) scoring McConnell. Evansville wasn’t done there as second baseman Mason McCue (Bourbonnais, Ill. / Bishop MacNamara HS) and Rumsey was hit by pitches to walk in a fourth run.
Missouri didn’t get a chance to respond in the bottom of the fourth as the Aces turned their second double play of the day, taking the Tigers down in order. Both teams went three up and three down in the fifth. UE got two runners on in the sixth with a walk and another hit by pitch to Rumsey, but no hits left two Evansville players stranded on base.
In the bottom of the sixth Missouri cut the Aces lead in half scoring the teams second run after a double, a wild pitch, and a single. UE continued to get runners on base over the next two innings as McGhee doubled and Rumsey added a single. But Evansville stranded five runners in the seventh and eighth.
The Tigers had a big offensive start to the bottom of the eighth with two straight singles. Missouri scored one run on the two hits as a ground out to third brought the Tigers’ first batter of the inning home. The Aces were able to keep the other Mizzou runner at third as RHP Kellen Roberts (Monroe, Mich. / Monroe HS) made his second appearance of the weekend and struck out the second batter he faced.
Evansville went into the ninth hoping to find some insurance for its one-run lead. And insurance the Aces found with a two-out rally in the top of the ninth. UE loaded the bases without connecting on a hit as the Tigers pitcher threw three walks. The pitcher then hit Rumsey for the third time in the game, scoring Evansville’s fifth run of the game.
But it was Taubert who found the big hit for the Aces as he smacked a bases-clearing double into left field, making it an 8-3 game. UE added one more run in the top of the ninth as McGhee followed up Taubert’s double with a long single to center, scoring the right fielder. Evansville headed into the final frame of the game leading Missouri by six runs.
After a lead-off ground out to start the bottom of the ninth, the Aces defense had to try and quiet a Tiger rally. Mizzou connected on three singles in four at-bats scoring a fourth run on the third single. The Tigers were able to add another run on a wild pitch by Roberts as he faced his seventh batter of the inning. Roberts was able to lock in after the wild pitch, striking out the batter to close the door on a potential Missouri comeback with the third out.
Pitching 1.2 innings Roberts earned his second save of the season and second save of the weekend on Sunday. The Aces benefited from nine hits and almost as many walks on offense to score nine runs while only seven UE batters struck out in 35 at-bats.
Evansville visits its last SEC opponent of non-conference play in its next game. The Aces travel south to Nashville to play at #14 Vanderbilt. First pitch from Hawkins Field is set for 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4.
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