“Tough loss to lose the overall series. Just didn’t play well enough,” said Aces head baseball coach Wes Carroll. “You have to credit Missouri State for applying pressure in all aspects of the game. I’m anxious to see how this group handles this adversity deep into the season.”
The Aces offense got started early in the game with a pair of runs in the first, but it was big second and fourth innings from the Bears that was difficult for Evansville to overcome. Missouri State struck for four runs in the second frame, all coming with one out and in successive at bats. In the fourth, the Bears added two runs
Single runs for Evansville in the fifth and eighth helped aid the Aces effort, but Dakota Katowski lifted a two-run home run to center that pushed Missouri State further in front en route to the 9-5 win.
At the plate, the Aces were led by a trio who recorded two hits on the day. Simon Scherry, Danny Borgstrom, and Tanner Craig, the three, four, and five hitters, each tallied two hits with Borgstrom recording a pair of RBI.
On the mound, Evansville cycled through seven pitchers as starter Donovan Schultz was credited with the loss after pitching the first two innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits. Drew Dominik pitched most effectively of Evansville relievers, entering in the seventh and throwing a scoreless inning and a third, allowing just one hit and striking-out one.
The Aces return to the road next weekend with a four-game MVC set against Illinois State on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Duffy Bass Field in Normal, Ill.
