EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Action resumes on Sunday for the University of Evansville men’s golf team with a trip to Sevierville, Tenn. for the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate.

The tournament runs Sunday through Tuesday with 18 holes taking place each day at the River Course at Sevierville Golf Club.  A 12-team field includes Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State, USI, Northern Iowa, Evansville, Findlay, Carson-Newman, Roan State CC, Walters State CC, Maryville (TN) College, Chicago State and West Virginia.

UE opened the season in February at the Alabama State University Spring Classic at RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill.  Led by Michael Ikejiani’s 8^th place finish, the Aces tied for second place.

Scoring a 755 for the 2 ½ rounds, the Purple Aces completed the tournament tied with Alabama State for the second position.  Arkansas-Pine Bluff took top honors with a 742.  Michael Ikejiani was the top performer for UE, finishing round two with a 76 before carding a 40 in the final nine holes.  He had a 188.  His 72 in round one tied for the team’s low score at the tournament.

Daniil Romashkin tied for the 9^th spot with a 189.  Following rounds of 74 and 76, he notched a 39 in the last nine holes.  One behind him was the duo of Nicholas Gushrowski and Henry Kiel.  Both scored a 190 to tie for 12^th place.  Gushrowski finished both full rounds with a 76 and was halfway there in the last nine, totaling a 38.  Kiel had a 75 to open play before shooting an even 72 in the second round.  His final nine holes finished at a 43.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee State starter Jaden Hamm tossed a complete-game one-hit shutout on Friday, and Blue Raider lead-off man JT Mabry went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, as MTSU took the opener from the visiting University of Evansville baseball team, 2-0, at Reese Smith Jr. Field in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

“We spoiled a great start today from Nick Smith, and their starter put together a three-pitch mix today that we couldn’t handle,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “Big game tomorrow to get back into this series.”

After Hamm set the tone in the first inning by sending the Purple Aces down in order, MTSU got all of the offense it would need for the day on just six pitches.  Mabry led off the frame with a line-drive to right that just got past a diving Eric Roberts in right field and rolled all the way to the warning track for a triple.  He then trotted home three pitches later on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Brett Coker to give MTSU a 1-0 lead.

From there, Hamm and Smith traded scoreless frames on the mound until the sixth inning.  UE sophomore center-fielder Ty Rumsey opened the sixth inning with Evansville’s only hit of the day on a bouncing ball over the mound.  UE would put runners on the corners with one out, but Hamm was able to get a double-play ground ball to get out of trouble and maintain a 1-0 lead.  Mabry then worked a one-out hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the inning and scored on a double by Coker to push the MTSU lead to 2-0.

Evansville would bring the potential tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth inning with two outs, but Hamm struck out UE junior catcher Brendan Hord to end the threat and the contest.  It was a fitting end of the day for Hamm (3-1), who struck out 11 men while walking three in the complete-game victory.

Smith (1-3) was the tough-luck loser for Evansville, as he allowed the two runs on six hits while striking out five in 7.0 innings of work.  At one point in the contest, Smith set down 11 MTSU hitters in order.

With the win, Middle Tennessee State improves to 7-6 on the season, while Evansville sees its record even at 7-7.  The two teams will continue the series on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., with UE sending senior LHP Tyler Denu (1-0, 3.45 ERA) to the mound.  Saturday’s game can be seen live on ESPN+

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball was out battled by Austin Peay State University, 10-6, Tuesday evening at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles watch their record go to 5-7, while APSU goes to 3-9.
 
Following a three-run first by Austin Peay, USI rallied to take a 4-3 lead with one in the first and three more in the second. The 4-3 lead would be the only lead of the game for the Eagles.

USI senior centerfielder Evan Kahre (Evansville, Indiana) scored USI’s first run on an RBI-single by senior first baseman Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) to cut the opening deficit to 3-1. Junior rightfielder Drew Taylor (Jeffersonville, Indiana), senior leftfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan), and junior second baseman Alex Archuleta (Evansville, Indiana) followed with three-straight extra base hits (triple, double, triple) to put the Eagles in front, 4-3, in the second.
 
Tachioka doubled in Taylor, who tripled to open the frame, with the second run, while Archuleta tripled in Tachioka to tie the score, 3-3. Archuleta would score the lead tally on a wild pitch for the brief 4-3 lead.
 
The Govs responded with six unanswered runs to regain the lead, 9-4, on three in the third and three in the seventh. USI cut the deficit to 9-6 on with two in the seventh on two-run base hit by freshman third baseman/shortstop Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana).
 
Austin Peay added one more tally to seal the game in the eighth and the 10-6 final.
 
On the mound, USI sophomore right-hander Adam Weihe (Louisville, Kentucky) took the loss for the Eagles. Weihe (0-2) allowed six runs, four earned, on nine hits, while striking out one in 2.1 innings of work.
 
USI junior lefthander Blake Ciuffetelli (Newburgh, Indiana) followed Weihe to the mound, going 4.1 innings of work and striking out a career-high seven batters.
 
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI continues the four-game homestand Friday when it starts a three-game series with Oakland University at the USI Baseball Field. The series starts Friday at 6 p.m.; continues Saturday at 2 p.m.; and concludes Sunday with a noon first pitch.
 
The Golden Grizzlies start this week with a 2-8 record and are slated to play the University of Michigan Wednesday as they make their way to Evansville. Oakland is 2-3 in the last five games after dropping two-of-three with Wichita State University last weekend.
 
USI and Oakland are tied 1-1 in the series after splitting a doubleheader in 1977. In the twin bill, USI took the opening game, 8-3, but dropped the nightcap, 4-0.