It was an offensive exhibition from the start with Mark Shallenberger opening the game with a leadoff home run for his second-straight contest, sending a shot to left field on the second pitch he saw. Indiana responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. The big numbers started hanging in the second inning as the Aces cashed-in for six runs in the top half of the inning, opened with another home run, this one coming off the bat of Eric Roberts. Evansville capped-off its half of the inning with a three-run double from Evan Berkey, part of a huge day at the plate for the third baseman.
In the bottom half of the second, Indiana got back within a run, pushing across four runs to narrow Evansville’s advantage to 7-6. The Hoosiers would retake the lead in the bottom of the third, scratching three runs on a pair of homers, to go in front, 9-7. Continuing an impressive stretch over the last few weeks, Chase Hug tied the game for Evansville in the fourth, doubling to bring in a pair of runners in Brent Widder and Tanner Craig.
As was true all night, see-saw tipped again, moving back in Indiana’s favor in the fifth as the Aces ran into trouble, loading the bases with a pair of outs. Evansville was able to work through on the shoulders of Drew Dominik, but not before IU scored three times to open up a 12-9 lead.
Beginning with the top of the sixth inning, momentum swung back in Evansville’s favor and would stay there. Continuing the trend of leadoff dingers, Tanner Craig smashed a towering home run up and over the scoreboard in left field. The home run was Craig’s 38th of his career, putting him alone in second in career homers at Evansville, just two back of tying the all-time record. Later in the sixth, Berkey added to the home run fest, going to left field with a three-run blast that recaptured the lead for Evansville, 13-12, a lead UE would hold onto for good.
An impressive effort on the mound from the Aces relievers helped keep a hot Hoosier offense off the board in the sixth and seventh as Dominik turned-in 3.1 innings of work, allowing just one run and striking-out three. To aid the effort, UE added four more runs in the top of the eighth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Shallenberger drew a hit-by-pitch that scored one and then Simon Scherry ripped a double down the left field line, clearing the bases and boosting the Aces advantage to 17-12.
Indiana threatened in the bottom half of the eighth, scoring one run and looking poised for more. With two outs and a runner on third, Carter Mathison looked as if he had scored another with a laser to right center field, but Ty Rumsey made a long run and dove, extending fully to make a diving grab to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Evansville brought in Nate Hardman, who allowed a run, but settled in and induced a groundout to end the contest as the Aces captured the 17-14 win.
The Aces and Hoosiers are set to continue their series on Saturday with a single game at 1 PM (CT) in Bloomington, Ind.
