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FERRARO’S FIVE POINT NIGHT POWERS THUNDERBOLTS PAST BOBCATS 7-4Â
Evansville, In.: It was an offensive showcase on Thursday night at Ford Center, as the Thunderbolts outlasted the Bobcats 7-4, with Mike Ferraro leading the way with 5 points. The Thunderbolts next home game will be on Friday, April 8th at 7:00pm CST as they host the Knoxville Ice Bears. For tickets, call (812)422-BOLT (2658), buy online at EvansvilleThunderbolts.com, or buy tickets in person at the Ford Center Box Office.Â
Scott Kirton opened the scoring on the power play at 4:51 of the first period, assisted by Connor Chatham. Evansville added a pair of goals only 33 seconds apart to extend the lead to 3-0 off goals from Mike Ferraro and Josh Adkins. Ferraro’s goal was assisted by Coy Prevost and Timothy Faulkner at 8:11, while Adkins’ goal was scored at 8:44 from Ferraro and Austin Plevy. Davis Kirkendall scored on a 5-on-3 opportunity to get the Bobcats back within two goals late in the period, as Evansville took the 3-1 lead into the first intermission. In the second period’s first half, Ferraro scored his second goal of the night at 2:09 from Aaron Huffnagle and Plevy to make it a 4-1 Thunderbolts lead, followed by another goal from Adkins at 6:16 unassisted to give Evansville a 5-1 lead. Â
Later in the second period, Dominick Horvath and Levi Cudmore scored only 1:14 apart to bring the Bobcats back within two goals again, with Evansville holding on to a 5-3 lead after two periods. After a lengthy stretch without any goals in the third period’s first 14 minutes, Brandon Lubin scored on the power play from Ferraro and Prevost at 14:17 to pad Evansville’s lead to 6-3, followed by another goal by Kirton at 16:41 from Ferraro and Plevy to make it 7-3. Alex Borowiec added one final goal for Vermilion County in the final minutes, concluding the scoring at 7-4 for Evansville. Â
Ferraro finished with two goals and three assists, becoming the 4th Thunderbolt in franchise history to score 5 points in a single game, previously accomplished by Dylan Clarke and Justin MacDonald in the 2017-18 season, and Connor Chatham earlier this season. Kirton and Adkins scored two goals each, with Lubin also scoring one goal. Plevy tallied three assists, while Prevost finished with two assists. Brian Billett stopped all 6 shots faced before leaving with injury, and Janzen stopped 15 of 19 shots faced in relief for his 2nd win of the season.  Tonight’s win was also the 28th Thunderbolts win of the season, surpassing the Thunderbolts’ previous record of 27 in the 2017-18 season.  The Thunderbolts and Bobcats do not meet again this regular season. Â
Trailblazers begin tough five-game stretch with big road win over Oakland City JV
OAKLAND CITY, Ind. – The Vincennes University baseball team began a stretch of five games in six days against four different teams Thursday afternoon by picking up a big 12-5 road win at Oakland City University.
Vincennes got the scoring started early, plating three runs in the first on four-straight singles by freshman Colton Evans (Henderson, Ky.), sophomores Connor VanLannen (Clinton, Ind.), Dale Coy (Evansville, Ind.) and freshman Jordan Roth (Delphi, Ind.).
Oakland City would rally back to even the score with a run in the first and two in the second, before Vincennes again grabbed the lead when VanLannen got a one-out single in the third and came around to score on a wild pitch.
The Mighty Oaks got the run back immediately in the bottom half of the inning and VU responded with a two-out single by freshman Ethan Burdette (Linton, Ind.), followed by a two-run home run by sophomore Colin Long (Evansville, Ind.) to give the Blazers a 6-4 lead.
Vincennes would add to their lead in the fifth on an RBI double by freshman Nick Kapostasy (Cincinnati, Ohio).
The Trailblazers were not done there though, as Vincennes came back with a five-run sixth inning, aided by an RBI single by freshman Mahkai Pelzer (Douglasville, Ga.) and a two-run home run by Dale Coy to give VU a 12-4 advantage.
Oakland City would attempt to battle back in the later innings, but only managed one run in the eighth as Vincennes came away with the 12-5 road win.
The Trailblazers used this game to get some pitchers some experience on the mound, using nine different arms during the game.
Sophomore Camden Greer (Boonville, Ind.) came away as the winning pitcher after throwing the third inning.
Freshman Cauy Motsinger (Salem, Ind.) entered the game in the eighth inning to get the third out and did so on one pitch.
Motsinger returned to the mound to close out the game in the ninth by striking out two batters in the inning.
The Vincennes pitching staff allowed only three hits all game and combined to punch out 12 Oakland City batters.
“We rolled the whole bullpen out there and just gave guys a chance to get on the bump today,†VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney said. “We were just looking to give guys a chance to get ready to roll when we get back to Conference games next weekend.â€
“Obviously, offensively we did a great job,†Barney added. “We came out and put up three runs in the first. Then Colin Long comes up with a two-out home run and we had some other guys pick it up, like Dale Coy coming through with three RBI’s today. Lots of guys contributed and lots of guys got some experience, which will hopefully get us going for Saturday and Sunday against Frontier, as well as Monday and Tuesday.â€
The Trailblazers got it done at the plate all game, with 10 VU batters getting hits in the game, including four from Colin Long, two from Colton Evans, two from Connor VanLannen, who exited the game after the third inning and three hits from Dale Coy.
IUSD Olympian Brinegar Turns Pro
 BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana redshirt junior swimmer and 2020 Olympian Michael Brinegar announced on Thursday that he will forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility and turn professional in pursuit of an Olympic return at the 2024 Paris games.
“I would like to announce that I am forgoing my final year of collegiate eligibility to turn pro and focus my training in preparation for the upcoming international schedule leading up to Paris 2024,†Brinegar said. “I want to express my appreciation to [my coaches at IU] for the time and energy they invested in me during my time in Bloomington.
“I am proud that my teammates and I were able to win two Big Ten team titles and accomplish three top-six NCAA team finishes in my three years as a Hoosier. IU practices, meets, trips and team activities are things I will miss as I return to California to resume training with Mark Schubert and The Swim Team (SET).
“I look forward to representing Team USA in Portugal at the end of May.
“Go Hoosiers. Go Team USA.â€
The Columbus, Indiana, native finishes his collegiate career after helping IU to its fourth Big Ten Championship in six seasons, taking part in the 2019 and 2022 titles. In three seasons at Indiana, Brinegar was a three-time All-American, two-time all-conference selection and the 2021 Big Ten Champion in the 1,650 Freestyle. Brinegar placed top-five in the mile at Big Tens all three seasons and top-ten at the national meet three times while earning silver his freshman campaign after swimming a career-best and program record 14:27.50.
“It has been an honor to coach Michael the last three years,†IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “Indiana University has a storied history with his family, and he will undoubtedly go into our record books as one of our greatest swimmers all-time. He has a bright Olympic future in open water, and I support his decision to go pro wholeheartedly. We wish Michael the very best!â€
While training in California, Brinegar plans to complete his Indiana University degree via the Pro Athlete program, through which the Indiana University department of intercollegiate athletics will cover tuition as he pursues his education online.
Brinegar made his Olympic debut last summer in Tokyo, where he finished 17th in both the 800m Freestyle (7:53.00) and 1500m Freestyle (15:04.67). He placed second in each event at U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Internationally, Brinegar also swims for the U.S. Open Water National Team and was the anchor leg of a bronze-medal finish at the 2019 FINA Open Water World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.
Prior to Indiana, Brinegar won medals in three straight FINA Junior Open Water World Championships from 2016-18, culminating in a gold medal in the 10k in 2018.
Brinegar’s mother, Jennifer (Hooker) Brinegar also swam at Indiana and won gold in the 4x100m relay at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. She now works on staff at Indiana University.
Valley play opens for Aces with weekend series against Salukis
EVANSVILLE, Ind. –Â Coming into the weekend on a five-game winning streak, the University of Evansville baseball team begins Missouri Valley Conference play against Southern Illinois on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.
Â
| Evansville vs. SIUÂ | Fri., Sat., Sun., April 8-10 | |
| Site | Location | GAB Field | Evansville, Ind. |
| Links | Friday, 6 PM | Live Stats | ESPN3 Saturday, 2 PM | Live Stats | ESPN3 Sunday, 1 PM | Live Stats | ESPN3 |
| Follow the Aces | Baseball Site | Twitter | |
Â
Previewing the Matchup: Southern Illinois
- The Aces and Salukis renew a long-standing rivalry this weekend with Friday night’s matchup marking the 161st meeting between the two schools as SIU owns a 96-64 advantage in the all-time series.
- A year ago, Evansville and SIU met eight times, doing so in both conference and non-conference play. In the final series of the season between the two, UE and SIU split a four-game set at German American Bank Field.
- SIU enters the weekend with the best record in the MVC, having amassed 21 wins to just eight losses so far this season, coming off a 2-1 series victory over Bradley to open MVC play and a midweek victory over Murray State on Tuesday.
- Evansville’s win over Indiana on Tuesday marked the Aces fourth-straight victory over Power 5 opponents.
Widder’s Hot Streak
- In his third season with the Aces, third baseman Brent Widder has caught fire.
- Over the last five games, Widder is the best hitter on the team, batting .476 with a pair of homers and seven RBI.
- Widder has done his best work at the plate in night games this season where the junior has hit a scorching .591 and reached base 62.5% of the time.
Pitching Coming Around
- Facing some of the top teams in the nation to open the season, Evansville’s pitching staff has settled in and shown its ability as of late.
- In the last five contests, the Aces arms have combined for a 3.72 average with 37 strikes and 24 walks.
- Over the last five games, five pitchers have a sub-2.00 ERA with starters Shane Gray and Shane Harris both falling in that category.
Local Legislators Urge Governor To Call Special Session If U.S. Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade
 STATEHOUSE (April 7, 2022) – A letter recently sent to the governor includes the names of local lawmakers who are urging him to call a special session if the U.S. Supreme Court completely or partially overturns Roe v. Wade.
The nation’s highest court is expected to rule in June on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization where the state of Mississippi is challenging Roe. If the court completely or partially overturns Roe v. Wade, State Reps. Matt Hostettler (R-Patoka), Cindy Ledbetter (R-Newburgh), Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville) and Tim O’Brien (R-Evansville) said they stand ready to reconvene at the Statehouse to pass legislation to better protect the sanctity of life.
“It’s imperative that we protect life at all stages and I urge the governor to call the legislature back into session if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade,” Hostettler said. “My goal is to protect the preborn, and a favorable ruling could give us the opportunity to go back to the Statehouse to do just that.”
Indiana Right to Life estimates an additional 4,000 abortions would occur in the state if the General Assembly waits until the 2023 legislative session to address any changes to Roe v. Wade.
“If given this opportunity in June, we shouldn’t wait until 2023,” Ledbetter said. “We’ll be ready to take action and protect the sanctity of life in the Hoosier state. Needless delay will mean more lives lost.”
Since 2008, abortions dropped by 29% in Indiana and are currently less than half of the state’s all-time high of over 16,500 in 1980. McNamara said with years of strong conservative leadership, Indiana ranks at the top of the 2021 Defending Life report card from Americans United for Life.
“Under Republican leadership, the number of abortions continues to drop in our state,” McNamara said. “We will continue to support alternatives, such as adoption, and Indiana ranks as one of the most adoption-friendly states in the country with consistently some of the highest rates per birth. If the highest court in the land overturns Roe v. Wade, I believe it’s only right to reconvene to build on our already strong pro-life policies.”
This legislative session, Hostettler, Ledbetter, McNamara and O’Brien supported a new law making it a felony in Indiana to coerce a woman into having an abortion. The law also holds abortion clinics accountable for failing to report coercion to law enforcement. According to a 2017 Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons study, nearly 75% of the 987 American women who participated in an after-abortion survey admitted they experienced at least subtle forms of pressure to terminate their pregnancies.
“Indiana has a long history of supporting life at all stages and I believe we need to take action again if the Supreme Court overturns Roe,” O’Brien said. “This would build on our already strong laws in place to protect pregnant mothers and unborn children.”
AG Todd Rokita Defends Free Speech And Civil Discourse Following Yale DebacleÂ
Attorney General Todd Rokita called today for a renewed national commitment to free speech and civil discourse following a March 10 incident in which a mob of Yale Law School students raucously disrupted a bipartisan panel. Coincidentally enough, the panel was itself discussing a U.S. Supreme Court case focused on free speech.Â
“All Hoosiers have a vested interest in the protection of free speech and civil discourse,†Attorney General Rokita said. “Throughout much of our nation’s history, the importance of free speech was one priority on which both sides of the aisle agreed. Unfortunately, large segments of the Left now seem to have abandoned their commitment to this precious American liberty.â€Â
For their protection, the panelists at Yale had to be rushed to a waiting police car by law enforcement. The mob’s actions apparently were instigated by a leftist group’s baseless claim that the Alliance Defending Freedom — which one of the panelists represented — was a “hate group.â€Â  Â
Attorney General Rokita signed a letter to Yale Law School officials coordinated by the Philadelphia Statement, an initiative to protect freedom of speech against cancel culture and ideological blacklisting.Â
The letter states, in part: “Our nation desperately needs the next generation of attorneys, legislators, judges, and Supreme Court justices to be marked by the character and values that undergird the American legal profession and a free society. These include, at the very least, respect for the right to freedom of speech, a commitment to living peacefully with one another despite differences, and esteem for truly open dialogue and debate.â€Â
The panelists at Yale were discussing the Supreme Court case Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski. In that case, the court ruled in favor of Chike Uzuegbunam, who as a college student in 2016 was prohibited by officials at Georgia’s Gwinnett College from peacefully sharing his Christian faith with fellow students.