NEW ORLEANS, La. – The University of Evansville baseball team exploded for 18 runs on 21 hits on Sunday, including five home runs, as the visiting Purple Aces posted an 18-4 mercy-rule victory over the homestanding University of New Orleans Privateers at Maestri Field in New Orleans.
“For us to win on ‘getaway day’ was important today, after yesterday’s tough loss,†said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “We had a great overall effort offensively today, and I thought that we did a good job of handing the ball off to each other on the mound: Kevin Reed getting us through four, and then what we got out of Shane Harris was pretty special today. And, to be able to get Jace Kressin and Ethan Bell out there was important for us as well.
“Big turnaround here on Wednesday, with us going to Vanderbilt. We still have some things that we are working on, so Wednesday will be a big test for us.â€
After scoring only two runs through 10 innings on Saturday, Evansville scored three runs through its first 10 batters on Sunday to grab an early 3-0 lead. Senior shortstop Simon Scherry produced a two-out RBI single in the first inning to begin the scoring, and freshman catcher Kaleb Wilkey bounced an RBI ground out before graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger drove an RBI single to right field to give UE a 3-0 cushion.
UNO would answer back with a four-run second inning thanks to a pair of home runs, but UE would respond with two home runs of its own in the third inning to set the tone for the day. Senior first baseman Kip Fougerousse launched a solo home run to tie the game at 4-4 in the third inning, before junior outfielder Harrison Taubert added a solo shot two batters later to give UE a lead it would never lose.
Evansville broke things open in the fifth inning, plating seven runs in the frame to push the lead to 12-4, highlighted by an RBI single by junior outfielder Ty Rumsey and a 400-foot grand slam to left field by graduate third baseman Brent Widder.
Junior second baseman Cal McGinnis added a solo home run to right field in the seventh inning to push the lead to 13-4. UE would then score five more runs in the eighth inning to invoke the mercy rule. Shallenberger launched an opposite-field solo home run to begin the scoring, before freshman infielder Brodie Peart came through with a pinch-hit two-run double for his first collegiate hit. A sacrifice fly by Taubert and an RBI double on the infield by Rumsey that landing between three infielders in front of the mound capped the scoring.
Rumsey led UE’s 21-hit attack by going 4-for-5. Both Shallenberger and Taubert finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, while Widder went 3-for-5 with the grand slam, three runs scored and four RBI. Eight of the nine UE starters produced hits on the day, with eight of the nine starters also driving in runs.
On the mound, senior reliever Shane Harris (1-1) earned the victory with two perfect innings of relief work. Graduate reliever Jace Kressin and redshirt sophomore hurler Ethan Bell also worked perfect innings each while combining to strike out five men.
With the victory, Evansville moves to 4-3 on the season. The Purple Aces will now travel to Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday night for a showdown with #6 Vanderbilt. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. and Wednesday’s game can be seen live on the SE
