Aces earn series win with 7-5 victory over Spartans

EVANSVILLE – Taking an early lead and using timely hitting to hold on to it late, the University of Evansville baseball team secured a series win over Michigan State with a 7-5 win over the Spartans on Saturday afternoon at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

“Really proud of our club. Nick Smith was outstanding throughout and our offense got out in front with some runs early,” said Aces head baseball coach Wes Carroll on the win. “The top four guys in our lineup had two hits a piece and delivered some important RBI hits. I know (Jakob) Meyer made it interesting but he always makes a sequence of pitches when needed. I’m excited to get the field tomorrow.”

The win earns Evansville’s first series win over a Big Ten opponent since taking two of three games from Iowa during the 2019 campaign. Much like Friday night, a dominant effort on the mound helped fuel the Aces early success in the contest. Sophomore Nick Smith went seven innings in the win, allowing seven hits and three runs, while striking-out three and walking just one. All of the damage to Smith’s line was done in the seventh after the Boonville, Ind. native had pitched six shutout innings.

At the plate, the top of the lineup was what powered Evansville with one through six in the order all recording at least a hit and five of the six recording two on the afternoon. First baseman Tanner Craig and third baseman Brent Widder each recorded two RBI a piece, helping Evansville to the win.

Like the series opener, the Aces opened the scoring in the first inning as Widder mashed a single up the middle, scoring Craig to earn an early 1-0 advantage for UE. Another run came across in the third, again generated by Widder, who’s single through the left side scored Mark Shallenberger.

An inning later, it was Craig who delivered the run support, ripping a double down the left field line, which brought Eric Roberts home and lifted Evansville to a 3-0 lead.

The power has been on display for Evan Berkey over the last two weeks and the La Quinta, Calif. native did it again to jumpstart the offense in the fifth. Berkey smashed his sixth homer of the season, driving it down the left field line and out of the park for a 4-0 UE lead. The home run gave Berkey homers in back-to-back games and was his fourth in the last six games. Later in the fifth, Roberts laid down a picture perfect bunt, reaching safely at first and allowing Danny Borgstrom to cross home as the Aces took a 5-0 lead.

Michigan State would mount a comeback, scoring three in the seventh, but Evansville had an answer in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI sacrifice fly from Craig and an RBI base knock from Simon Scherry that regenerated a 7-3 lead for Evansville.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Spartans threatened, scoring a pair of runs to get within two with two outs. After allowing the two runs, Meyer settled in and fired three-straight strikes to end the contest and capture a 7-5 win for the Aces.

Evansville and Michigan State close their weekend series on Sunday with first pitch at 1 PM at German American Bank Field at Charles Braun Stadium in Evansville.