Lamasco Bar and Grill has been sold. A full renovation and rebranding will start in early March, prompting a temporary closure.
This marks the end of Lamasco’s 91-year history, with the final day of operation on March 5th.
EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT
FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
UE River City jerseys debut Sunday against Valparaiso
River City jerseys debut Sunday against Valparaiso
Aces and Beacons square off at 7 p.m.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Giving a nod to the City of Evansville, the Purple Aces men’s basketball team will wear special “River City” jerseys on Sunday as they host Valparaiso inside the Ford Center at 7 p.m. ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.
River City
– In a drastic change from its normal colors, the Aces River City uniforms sport the colors of the City of Evansville’s flag – dark blue, light blue, and gold
– The circular emblem around the jersey number is an alteration of the city flag representing the Four Freedoms monument and the Ohio River, Wabash and Erie Canals, and Pigeon Creek
Last Time Out
– Shooting 51% from the field, Missouri State pulled away for a 71-54 win over UE on Wednesday night in Springfield.
– Tayshawn Comer recorded a game-high 17 points while Connor Turnbulls scored 13 and Gabriel Pozzato finished with 12
On a Roll
– Over the last 13 games, Tayshawn Comer has played as well as anyone in the MVC
– Comer is averaging 20.0 points, 4.2 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game over that time and leads UE with his season scoring average of 15.7 PPG
– Included in that tally is a career-high 27 points in the win over Murray State, besting his mark of 26 in the road win at SIU
– Against league competition, Comer is averaging 18.7 PPG, which is second
– His assist numbers have been off the charts; over the last eight games, he is averaging 4.8 per game while his season mark of 3.85/game is 6th in the MVC
Doing It All
– For the first time in his UE career, Tanner Cuff posted a 20-point game, finishing with 22 in the road win at Valparaiso
– Over the last five games, Cuff is averaging 8.8 rebounds and has moved to 4th in the MVC with his average of 6.85 per game and ranks second in the league with 5.46 defensive caroms per contest
– He posted his second double-double of the season in the win over Murray State, registering 12 points and 12 boards
– Cuff had a career-high 11 assists against Belmont and is 9th in the league with his average of 3.50 per contest
Scouting the Opponent
– Valparaiso halted a 9-game skid on Wednesday as they picked up a 101-86 home victory over Belmont
– Cooper Schwieger scored 27 points and hauled in 13 rebounds to lead the Beacons in the victory while All Wright finished with 20
– Prior to the losing streak, Valpo recorded three wins in its first five MVC games
– Schwieger paces the Beacons in scoring (14.9 PPG), rebounding (7.6 RPG) and his season total of 42 blocked shots
– All Wright is averaging 13.1 PPG while Tyler Schmidt and Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro chip in 11.3 and 11.2 PPG, respectively
-www.GoPurpleAces.com-
Aces wrap up home doubleheader against Butler
Aces wrap up home doubleheader against Butler
UE falls in both Friday contests
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Morgan Adams recorded a home run and three RBI on Friday as the University of Evansville softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Butler at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.
Game 1 – Butler 4, UE 3
Evansville got off to a quick start, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Zoe Frossard was hit by a pitch while Taylor Howe followed with a single. Next up was Brooke Voss who singled to centerfield to bring in Frossard for the first run of the game.
Jess Willsey followed up with another single while an error by the Bulldogs contributed to a pair of runs scoring. UE completed the frame with four hits. The Purple Aces had a chance to add more to the lead with two runners reaching in the second including Kynadee Warner, who led off with a single. The Bulldogs were able to get out of the frame without allowing anymore runs to score.
It did not take long for Butler to take advantage, plating two runs in the top half of the third. Looking to get back on track, Callie Meinel and Eliza Piggott each recorded hits in the bottom of the frame but would not score. It remained 3-2 in favor of UE until the fifth when the Bulldogs scored the tying run before recording what would be the winning run in the 6th.
Gwen Baker was the winning pitcher for Butler as she tossed five innings with three runs scoring. Sydney Weatherford suffered the loss with two runs scoring in two frames. Kate Ridgway made the start, allowing two runs, one earned, in five frames.
Game 2 – Butler 12, UE 4
Scoring the final eight runs of the contest, Butler pulled away for a 12-4 victory in game two of the doubleheader.
After Butler plated the first two runs of the game, the Aces came through with two runs in the bottom of the second. Morgan Adams got UE on the board with a 1-out solo home run while Taylor Howe’s sacrifice fly knotted the game at 2-2.
The Bulldogs retook the lead with a 2-run homer in the top of the third, but the Aces responded with a pair of runs to tie it back up. It was Adams coming through once again, picking up a 2-run single. The back-and-forth action continued as the Bulldogs retook the lead with two runs in the fourth and one in the sixth to take a 7-4 lead.
Looking to rally in the bottom of the sixth, UE loaded the bases with one out. Niki Bode and Zoe Frossard both walked while Kynadee Warner added a single. Unfortunately, a double play ended the threat and Butler scored five times in the 7th to seal the win. Cassidy Gall took the loss for UE, allowing four runs in three innings of work. Katie Petran was the winner for the Bulldogs, allowing four runs in 5 1/3 frames.
Adams was the top performer for UE, going 2-3 with a home run and three RBI. The Aces look to get back on track with a home tournament next weekend that is set to run from Friday through Sunday.
Aces baseball drops Opening Day doubleheader at Little Rock
Aces baseball drops Opening Day doubleheader at Little Rock
The Purple Aces combined for five runs and nine hits in 18 innings
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – In the first two contests of the 2025 season the University of Evansville baseball team wasn’t able to find an extra bit of offense for a win at Little Rock.
Starting the season off with a doubleheader the Purple Aces came close to a comeback win in the first game of the day. Up 4-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth the Little Rock Trojans found three runs to take game one 5-4. UE’s offense struggled to get going in the second game of the day, recording only three hits in the 5-1 loss.
“A tough way to start the season as we didn’t earn a win,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll following Friday’s doubleheader. “Too many mistakes at the end of both games hurt our chances. [Left-handed pitcher Kenton] Deverman gave us a chance with a great performance in the second game, but we couldn’t take advantage of it. We need to salvage the weekend on Sunday playing overall better baseball.”
GAME 1
Junior right-hander Max Hansmann (Elmhurst, Ill. / York HS) got the Opening Day start for his first start since April of 2023. But a leadoff walk for the Trojans turned into a scored run as it was followed by a hit and a line out. Hansmann ended the inning with his first strike of the day as Little Rock took a 1-0 lead into the second.
Neither team had much success on offense in the second inning. In the third junior third baseman Drew Howard (Ferdinand, Ind. / Forest Park HS) led off with a walk and moved to third on a ground out. Howard stole third during center fielder Ty Rumsey’s (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) second at-bat of the game. Rumsey connected for the Aces’ first hit of the day, scoring Howard to tie the game.
The game remained tied over the next three innings as a pitcher’s duel ensued. Hansmann ended his day after four innings with four hits, one run, three walks, and five strikeouts while facing 19 batters. Junior transfer Owen Byberg (Barrie, Ontario / Frontier CC) made his Division I debut in the fifth inning where he quickly struck out two batters.
UE added two hits in the fourth and the sixth innings from sophomore left fielder Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind. / Seymour HS) and senior second baseman Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley). But it was Little Rock who found home plate next in the bottom of the seventh. The Trojans’ first two batters made it on base and scored on a double play as Evansville took the outs at second and first over going for home.
The Aces responded immediately in the top of the eighth with back-to-back singles from first baseman Kevin McCormick (Orland Park, Ill. / St. Laurence HS) and Rumsey. Freshman pinch runner Ryan Seddon (Joliet, Ill. / St. Laurence HS) scored on a sacrifice fly from senior right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) to tie the game while Rumsey made it to third.
Rumsey then quickly gave UE its only lead of the day when he scored on a passed ball during the next at-bat. Evansville’s next two batters were retired but not before taking advantage to grab a late-game lead. The Aces made two defensive changes in the bottom of the eighth as senior Ben Stuart (Mason, Ohio / William Mason HS) took over at first and senior right-hander Drew Fieger (Fort Mitchell, Ky. / Lincoln Trail CC) stepped onto the mound.
UE ended the inning with the one-run lead as Little Rock stranded a runner on third. Evansville added an insurance run in the top of the ninth as sophomore pinch runner Aaron Nehls (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) scored on an RBI single from Howard. But the insurance run wasn’t enough as the Trojans loaded the bases with one out.
After three walks to start the bottom of the ninth, Little Rock added a hit and a fielder’s choice against sophomore right-hander Kellen Roberts (Monroe, Mich. / Monroe HS) to tie the game. With two runners in scoring position a wild pitch from Roberts sent the walk-off Trojan run home in the 5-4 loss.
GAME 2
While the first game had a smattering of offense throughout, it was a pitcher’s duel almost from start to finish in the second game. 2024 MVC Freshman of the Year Kenton Deverman (Dardenne Prairie, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt West HS) began the game on the mound for the Aces and had all three putouts in the first inning. UE’s offense had a slightly better start as Rumsey began the game with a single.
But Evansville’s offense would grow cold not connecting on another hit until the final inning of the game. Deverman had a strong performance to keep the Aces in the game, not allowing a run in the first four innings with five strikeouts, three hits, and only one walk. The shutout was broken in the bottom of the fifth by Little Rock as their center fielder hit a two-run homer to right center.
Deverman pitched two more innings for UE, picking up two more strikeouts while retiring the Trojans in order both times. Evansville used two pitchers in the eighth inning as redshirt junior Parker MacCauley (Paducah, Ky. / Tennessee Tech) allowed two hits and a run. The Aces then put senior left-hander Jacob Jarvis (Farmington, Mo. / Jefferson College) in for the rest of the game. Little Rock added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a commanding 5-0 lead.
UE would spoil the shutout in the top of the ninth as Taubert had Evansville’s only multi-base hit of the day. The right fielder launched a solo home run out of left field to score the Aces’ lone run of the second game. McGinnis followed up Taubert’s homer with a single to get on base and sophomore shortstop Brodie Peart (Markham, Ontario, Canada) walked. But a flyout followed by a double play ended the day for UE as they dropped the second game 5-1.
Rumsey led Evansville on Friday with three hits, a run, an RBI, and two stolen bases. McGinnis was the only other Ace with multiple hits as he connected on two in eight at-bats. Four other UE players had a hit each while Taubert had two RBIs in five at-bats. Evansville did steal four bases on Friday as Howard stole two along with Rumsey in six appearances at the plate.
Due to projected weather on Saturday in the Little Rock area, the Aces have the day off before returning to action. UE will try to bring a win back to Evansville on Sunday afternoon as first pitch from Gary Hogan Field is set for 1 p.m.
-www.gopurpleaces.com-
USI Baseball opens 2025 with 3-1 win
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball opened the 2025 campaign with a 3-1 victory over Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama. USI is 1-0 to start the season, while Alabama State is 0-1 to begin its season.
USI grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top first when junior third baseman Patrick McLellan singled through the right side to score senior centerfielder Khi Holiday from third. Holiday had moved into scoring position after singling to lead off the game, stole second, and advanced to third on a ground out.
After Alabama State tied the score in the bottom of the second, USI senior leftfielder BJ Banyon put the Eagles back into the lead, 2-1, after stealing third and scoring on a throwing error in the top of the third. The Eagles added to lead in the sixth when freshman third baseman Kannon Coakley scored on a passed ball for the eventual 3-1 final.
On the mound, USI junior right-hander Blake Kimball picked up the win after going six innings. Kendall allowed one run on five hits, one hit, and one walk, while striking out one.
USI sophomore right-hander Aaron Rubio closed out the final three innings to earn his first save as an Eagle. Rubio threw three innings, setting down all nine hitters, striking out two.
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI continues the four-game series with Alabama State Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Montgomery, Alabama.
The Eagles open the 2025 home schedule by hosting Western Kentucky University Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the first 200 fans get a USI red rally towel.
Webb’s career-high 24 points leads USI over Leathernecks Screaming Eagles secure OVC tournament berth
MACOMB, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball secured its berth in the 2024-25 Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament Thursday evening after earning a hard-fought 76-70 win on the road at Western Illinois University.
Southern Indiana clinched its second consecutive berth into the OVC tournament and will continue to work toward defending its OVC championship from last season come early March. USI also locked up its second win in a row and moved back to 10 games over .500 on Thursday behind a career-high 24 points from graduate forward Madi Webb. The Screaming Eagles improved to 18-8 overall and 10-5 in the OVC, remaining in fifth place in the conference. Western Illinois dropped to 12-12 on the season with a 6-9 conference record.
In a tight contest out of the gates, Southern Indiana found early success inside through the play of graduate forward Meredith Raley and sophomore forward Chloe Gannon. Each scored a pair of field goals in the early minutes of the opening quarter. USI’s trap defense also had an early presence, forcing Western Illinois into five first-quarter turnovers. Despite some outside shooting woes with an 0-6 start from three, the Screaming Eagles continued to find offense in the paint. Webb matched Raley and Gannon with two conversions under the basket. Southern Indiana led 18-14 after the first 10 minutes.
USI continued attacking the post with Webb and Raley combining to score the Eagles’ first three buckets in the second period. At the 7:20 mark of the second, Southern Indiana increased its lead to eight, 27-19, after getting its first three-point make from junior guard Ali Saunders. Webb continued to have a strong first half, reaching double digits for the game and giving USI a 12-point, 33-21 advantage with four minutes left in the first half. Webb totaled 14 first-half points. Western Illinois ended the first half with a small run, cutting USI’s lead in half down to six, 38-32, at the break.
Western Illinois scored seven straight points out of halftime to take the lead before Southern Indiana scored its first second-half points on a basket from Gannon at the 6:32 mark of the third quarter. The Leathernecks tallied eight consecutive points after the Gannon basket to go ahead by seven, 47-40. Later in the period, Raley earned a three-point play and scored once more to hit double figures in the game and bring USI back within one possession with under three minutes left in the third. Webb resumed her solid performance with a pair of buckets late in the frame to help knot the game at 54 going into the fourth quarter.
The two sides went back and forth into the middle of the fourth quarter. Even when Western Illinois grabbed a four-point lead on a triple near the seven-minute mark of the fourth, Southern Indiana answered with a three-point of its own. Later, Webb tied the game at 66 and surpassed 20 points for the game at the midway point of the fourth quarter. After the Leathernecks went up by four, USI responded and went ahead 71-70 on a go-ahead trey from sophomore guard Triniti Ralston with two minutes remaining, as the Screaming Eagles sealed the win at the free-throw line.
Southern Indiana shot over 42 percent (29-68) from the floor and just above 23 percent (4-17) from three-point range. USI went for 70 percent (14-20) at the free-throw stripe. The Eagles had a strong game on the glass, outrebounding Western Illinois 47-40. USI also outscored the Leathernecks 46-20 in the paint. The Screaming Eagles did a good job taking care of the basketball, recording a season-low eight turnovers.
Webb led USI and tied a game-high 24 points on 10-19 shooting in setting her new career mark. Raley posted her seventh career double-double and first of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Vanessa Shafford tallied 14 points and pulled down nine boards.
Western Illinois was held to 39.4 percent (26-66) shooting overall but did connect for 37 percent (10-27) from three. The Leathernecks were 8-14 for 57 percent at the foul line. Sophomore guard Raegan McCowan led four Leathernecks in double figures, tying a game-high 24 points.
Next, the Screaming Eagles will make the trip to St. Charles, Missouri on Saturday for an 11 a.m. matchup against Lindenwood University. Saturday’s game will be televised on ESPNU and is the first nationally televised game for USI Women’s Basketball at the D-I level. The Spin 95.7 FM will have additional radio coverage.
UE baseball begins 2025 season at Little Rock
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — After a historic season the University of Evansville baseball team will look to run it back in 2025.
After a record season, Aces Baseball is back and hungry for more success in 2025. UE appeared in the program’s first Super Regional in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, forcing eventual 2024 Champions #1 Tennessee to an “as necessary” third game. While Evansville has enjoyed its success from the 2024 NCAA Tournament the program turns the page on a new chapter this weekend. The Aces begin the 2025 season with their first visit to Little Rock in six years on Friday afternoon.
It will be a new-look team for UE in 2025 as six consistent 2024 starters graduated from the program. Evansville returns 39.7% of its at-bats from the prior season and only 38.1% of its hits. The Aces do welcome a large incoming class in 2025 with 11 freshmen and 4 transfer players. Most notably UE brings in graduate catcher Matt Flaherty who spent the prior season with ASUN Bellarmine.
Evansville will have several familiar faces on the mound in 2025. The Aces return 2024 MVC Freshman of the Year and 2025 D1Baseball Preseason Third Team All-American left-hander Kenton Deverman. UE will also rotate in redshirt junior right-hander Max Hansmann for his first full season as a starter and sophomore left-hander Kevin Reed. At the plate the Aces return a trio of seniors in second baseman Cal McGinnis, right fielder Harrison Taubert, and center fielder Ty Rumsey. Of the three McGinnis saw the most production in 2024 with a .348 average, 69 hits, 38 runs, two triples, and six home runs.
UE makes its return to face the Little Rock Trojans after six seasons away. The two teams have only ever met on the Trojans turf with Evansville holding the 7-4 advantage. In the two teams’ last meeting in 2019, the Aces picked up two of three wins including the team’s first double-figure win of the season in the final game at 10-5.
The Little Rock Trojans are replacing the majority of their everyday players in the lineup from 2024 to 2025. After capturing the Ohio Valley Conference regular season in 2024, the Trojans will have a much different look compared to last year’s roster, which finished 32-24 overall. However, Little Rock does return Jackson Wells, the 2023 OVC Pitcher of the Year, who will face off with UE right-hander Max Hansmann to start the series on Friday afternoon