EVANSVILLE, Ind. – On a windy day in Evansville, Indiana, the visiting Missouri State Bears exploded for six home runs from the fifth inning-on on Sunday, including grand slams in both the fifth and sixth innings, to salvage the series finale over the University of Evansville baseball team, 19-8, at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium.
The Bears struck first for four runs in the top of the first inning to grab an early 4-0 lead, highlighted by a two-run double by catcher Dylan Leach. Evansville would chip away though with single tallies in the first, second and fourth innings to get back into the contest.
Graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger launched an opposite-field solo home run in the first inning to plate UE’s first run of the contest. Then, in the second inning, senior shortstop Simon Scherry and freshman second baseman Brodie Peart knocked back-to-back ground-rule doubles to trim the Missouri State lead to 4-2.
Shallenberger then added an RBI ground-rule double in the fourth inning to get UE back within a run at 4-3. On the play, if the ball had not bounced over the wall, UE would have tied the game, as junior outfielder Harrison Taubert was racing around the bases ahead of Shallenberger. Taubert was sent back to third base, though, and with runners on second and third and two outs, Missouri State reliever Stephen Schissler (1-0) came on to get a fly-out to end the UE threat.
In the top of the fifth inning, Missouri State exploded for eight runs, highlighted by a Zack Stewart grand slam to right field which capped the eight-run inning. First baseman Cody Kelly then launched a grand slam in the sixth inning to help the Bears build a 16-3 lead.
After two more solo home runs by the Bears in the sixth inning, UE junior outfielder Ty Rumsey launched a two-run home run of his own in the sixth inning to help UE chip away at the lead. Shallenberger then launched his second opposite-field home run of the day to left field two batters later.
Missouri State would add its sixth home run of the day in the seventh inning, before UE would plate two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on run-scoring fielder’s choice ground outs to provide the final score.
Shallenberger went 4-for-4 with a double, two home runs, a walk, two runs scored and three RBI to lead the UE offense. Scherry also added three hits, including a pair of doubles, while Peart had a two-hit afternoon as well. Rumsey drove in three runs for UE. Stewart drove in five runs and Kelly added four RBI to lead Missouri State.
With the victory, Missouri State improved to 18-24 overall and 7-11 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Evansville, meanwhile, dropped to 24-19 overall and 12-6 in the Valley with the loss. The Purple Aces will try to close out the month of April on a winning note on Tuesday, as UE will travel to Cape Girardeau, Missouri to wrap up a home-and-home mid-week series with the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks. UE is currently 13-3 in the month of April, and the Purple Aces beat the Redhawks, 6-5, in extra innings in the season’s first meeting on Wednesday, March 13. Tuesday’s game can be seen live on ESPN+.
