Sophomore pitchers strikes out seven, allows just two hits in seven innings
After an impressive pitching performance on Friday, the University of Evansville baseball team again got a gem from its starter in a 4-1 victory over Butler at Bosse Field on Saturday afternoon.
“What electric stuff tonight from Shane Gray. Just his fastball all night, both sides of the plate, up, down,” said Aces head baseball coach Wes Carroll. “I thought him and Max were in sync the entire game and he was able to get a swing and miss whenever he needed to late in the count and it was a special overall performance for our sophomore and a much-needed series win. Just an overall great performance from out club.”
Sophomore Shane Gray took a no-hitter through 6.2 innings, finishing with seven Ks in seven innings and allowing just two hits and one run in his outing.
Gray got the Aces going in the top of the first, inducing a fly-out to left field and back-to-back groundouts to end the Butler half of the first. Evansville took the lead in the bottom of the first as senior Craig Shepherd smashed a single up the middle and junior Robbie Wilkes followed suit with a base hit to left field. Two batters later, sophomore Indiana Stanley cracked a single through the left side, scoring Shepherd and Wilkes to give Evansville a 2-0 lead.
It was Gray again who sat the Bulldogs down in order, this time including a strikeout to end the inning. In the bottom of the second, the Aces repeated their effort from the first, scoring twice more as senior Troy Beilsmith led off the inning by taking first base after being hit by a pitch. Freshman Max Malley joined Beilsmith on base and the two stole second and third, respectively. With runners in scoring position, Shepherd delivered a two-RBI single up the middle to push the Aces lead to 4-0.
The Aces looked to strike for more runs in the third inning as junior Mark Shallenberger ripped a double down the line and junior Mason Brinkley singled to third with one out. After a wild pitch moved Brinkley to second, Butler ended the Aces threat with two strikeouts to end the inning.
The middle innings were quiet for both teams as neither side registered a hit from the fourth through the sixth inning. Butler got its first and only tally in the top of the seventh inning as a pair of hits got the Bulldogs within three runs at 4-1.
Coming on in relief, freshman Jace Kressin got the job done for the Aces, shutting down the Bulldogs, with two spotless innings, including three strikeouts.
Evansville closes out the series with the Bulldogs on Sunday at noon at Bosse Field.
