EVANSVILLE, Ind. –  After the start of Sunday’s baseball game was delayed over one hour and 45 minutes due to rain, the 14th-ranked Indiana State Sycamores rained on the University of Evansville’s parade with a 10-4 win at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.
“We really lost an opportunity to win the series the last two days after a hard-earned win on Friday night,†said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “We just didn’t do enough in all three facets of the game to earn it these last two days.
“Even though we didn’t get the series win this weekend, I still believe in our guys and our ability to finish the season strong.â€
Indiana State took advantage of an early Evansville error and a strong 30 mile-per-hour wind blowing out to right field in the first inning to grab a lead it would never lose, as designated hitter Luis Hernandez snaked a two-run home run around the right-field foul pole to give ISU a 2-0 lead.  Hernandez then came through with a two-out, two-run single to center field in the third inning to extend the lead to 4-0.
Evansville would get a run back in the bottom of the third inning on a solo home run to right-center field by junior outfielder Adam Euler.  Indiana State would answer right back, though, with a two-out solo home run to center field by outfielder Keegan Watson in the fourth inning to retake a four-run lead at 5-1.
The Sycamores would score two more two-out runs in the sixth inning on a two-run single by first baseman Henry Brown to extend the lead to 7-1.  UE would get one of those runs back on an RBI double by junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Indiana State would plate two more two-out runs in the next half inning to grab a 9-2 lead.
Fougerousse would take advantage of the wind with a long solo home run to right-center field in the eighth inning, and sophomore outfielder Ty Rumsey blasted a solo home run to right field in the ninth inning, but Evansville could get no closer, as the Sycamores took the series win.
Rumsey went 3-for-4 with a home run, while Euler and Fougerousse added two hits each, including home runs.  Fougerousse also added two RBI.  Hernandez and second baseman Josue Urdaneta both had three-hit days to lead Indiana State.
ISU starter Lane Miller (5-0) picked up the victory on the mound, scattering two runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings of work.  Graduate LHP Michael Parks (2-2) suffered the loss for UE in his first career start by allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits in 4.0 innings of work.  All 10 runs scored by Indiana State came home with two outs in an inning.
With the victory, Indiana State improves to 28-13 overall and 16-2 in the MVC.  Evansville, meanwhile, falls to 25-18 overall and 9-9 in the MVC.  The Purple Aces will wrap up a five-game homestand on Wednesday night by hosting Butler in a 6 p.m. contest that can be seen live on ESPN+ and heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS and the Old National Bank/Purple Aces Sports Network from Learfield.
