Evansville leads early, but 10-run SIU fifth hands UE loss
Despite a strong start, the University of Evansville baseball team dropped its MVC opener to No 25 SIU, 14-5, on Friday at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Ill.
“Giving up a 10 spot in one inning during a Friday game is rare. Too much for our offense to overcome,” said Aces head coach Wes Carroll. “You have to credit their team for the offensive approach at the plate creating many extra base hits and hitting with runners in scoring position. We need to bounce back and combat their team approach tomorrow.”
It was the Salukis who found the scoreboard first in the bottom of the opening inning with a run off a sacrifice fly. Evansville answered in the top of the second as junior Eric Roberts opened the Aces ledger with a double down the left field line that scored freshman Simon Scherry. The Aces continued their scoring in the second as redshirt senior Kenton Crews hit a single up the middle to score Roberts and give UE the lead.
After the early run, sophomore righty Shane Gray settled-in on the mound for the Aces, pitching three clean innings from the second to the fourth including a pair of strikeouts.
Evansville padded its advantage in the third with a run on a base hit by freshman Mark Shallenberger and added two more in the fourth with a two-run single by sophomore Danny Borgstrom that put the Aces in front, 5-1.
The bottom half of the fifth was unkind to Evansville and shaped the outcome of the ballgame. SIU opened the inning loading the bases with no outs. The Salukis trimmed into the Aces lead with a two-run single that moved SIU within a pair at 5-3. The following three at bats changed the complexion of the game as SIU belted three-straight home runs and followed it up with another homer later in the inning to take an 11-5 lead.
The Salukis would go on to score three more runs with one in the seventh and two in the eighth as SIU secured the 14-5 win.
Evansville and SIU will continue their four-game series with a Saturday twin-bill beginning at 2 PM.
