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Sixth inning rally sinks Aces baseball against Valparaiso

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Sixth inning rally sinks Aces baseball against Valparaiso
The Purple Aces led four of nine innings on Saturday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team grabbed an early lead but couldn’t hold off a comeback from the Valparaiso Beacons in the 11-6 loss.
The Purple Aces had all the offense in the first five innings on Saturday, but without scoring between the fourth and ninth innings, it was Valparaiso who was victorious in the second game of the weekend. UE left fielder Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind. / Seymour HS) had the hottest bat for Evansville against the Beacons’ starter, RHP Harry Deliyannis. The sophomore batter went 3-of-4 from the plate with a double and a home run for a third of the Aces hits on Saturday.
“Coming off of our great performance last night, we didn’t capitalize and win a series today,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll following the loss. “We didn’t do enough in all three aspects of the game, and you have to give credit to Valpo’s starter. It’ll be a big game tomorrow in the rubber match.”
It was a quick start to the second game of the series as UE starter Kevin Reed (Martinsville, Ind. / Martinsville HS) struck out three batters in two innings of work. Evansville began the scoring on Saturday in the bottom of the second as Longmeier hit his second home run of the season to lead off the inning. The Aces’ next three batters all reached first base with right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) scoring on a double from third baseman Drew Howard (Ferdinand, Ind. / Forest Park HS) to double UE’s lead.
Evansville added one more run in the bottom of the second as center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) had an RBI single up the middle to score Howard. The Aces held onto their three-run lead through the third and the top of the fourth as the Beacons threatened in the top of the third with the bases loaded.
UE tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth with two singles to start the inning from Howard and second baseman Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo. / Blue Springs HS). Howard then scored his second run of the afternoon on a sacrifice fly from Rumsey to center field. Valparaiso’s bats began to get going in the fifth with their first hit of the game.
But it was the sixth inning where the Beacons took over the game, scoring six runs on four hits, two errors, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. Valpo tied up the game after loading up the bases with a double, an error, and a wild pitch. The Beacons then took over the lead from Evansville with a two-run homer before the Aces’ defense got out of the sixth.
UE’s offense went cold over the next three innings as Longmeier was the only batter to record a hit until the bottom of the ninth. In the final third of the gam,e Valparaiso added five more runs to make it 11 to 4 going into the last frame. Evansville began the bottom of the ninth with a batter at first as pinch hitter Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind. / North Bedford Lawrence HS) was hit by a pitch. Pinch runner Mason McCue (Bourbonnais, Ill. / Bishop McNamara HS) went to second right after as McConnell grounded out to second.
A walk to Rumsey put two on base for the Aces, and both runners quickly advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. UE added a run when shortstop Brodie Peart (Markham, Ontario) had an infield ground out to score McCue. Rumsey also scored a run for Evansville on a wild pitch with two outs on the board. The Aces had another walk to get a runner back on base, but a fly out in the next at-bat ended the game in the Beacons’ favor.
UE will look to take the series on Sunday afternoon. It will be another noon first pitch for Evansville, with inclement weather expected in the late afternoon and early evening.
-www.gopurpleaces.com-

Trailblazers sweep series finale doubleheader at Illinois Central

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Trailblazers sweep series finale doubleheader at Illinois Central

PEORIA, Ill. – The Vincennes University baseball team closed out their weekend Mid-West Athletic Conference series strong Saturday afternoon at Illinois Central College in Peoria, Ill.

The Blazers took the doubleheader sweep over the Cougars 5-2 and 7-3 to pick up the series win at ICC.

Vincennes got off to a slow start Saturday afternoon with Illinois Central striking first and breaking the scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the third in game one.

VU would get on the board in the fifth after a leadoff walk by sophomore Noble Johnson (Terre Haute, Ind.) and sophomore Bryce Gross (Bridgeport, Ill.) reached on a fielder’s choice.

Johnson came in to score the first run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Bradyn Douglas (Frankton, Ind.) with Gross tying the game later in the inning by scoring on a wild pitch to even the score at 2-2.

VU would take their first lead of the day in the sixth after a leadoff single by sophomore Nate Montgomery (Lexington, Ind.) and freshman Carter Gricius (Scottsburg, Ind.) being hit by pitch.

The pair moved up 90 feet with a successful sacrifice bunt by sophomore Corbin Napier (Indianapolis, Ind.) before scoring on a two-RBI double by sophomore Yancey Edlin (Pekin, Ind.).

Edlin would come around to score on a error by Illinois Central College to give the Blazers a 5-2 lead over the host Cougars.

The Trailblazers were able to fend off any late comeback attempts by the Cougars, ending the game defensively with a big double play to give the Blazers the 5-2 victory over Illinois Central College.

Freshman Eastin Whaley (Kokomo, Ind.) got the start for the Trailblazers in game one of the day, going the distance with a seven-inning complete game, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out eight, while only allowing one walk.

Whaley picked up steam as the game went along, facing the minimum over the final three innings to pick up the victory for the Blazers.

Vincennes looked to pick up the series victory and sweep the day in game two but once again found themselves playing from behind early after Illinois Central plated a run in the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead.

VU would get on the board in a big way to grab their first lead of the game in the fourth with a big five-run inning.

The Blazers opened the inning with the first five batters reaching base safely, with sophomore Corbin Napier scoring the first run of the game for VU on a Cougar error, before Bryce Gross came through with a two-RBI single to put the Blazers on top 3-2.

Bradyn Douglas picked up an RBI in the inning on a groundout and Nate Montgomery drove in the final run of the inning with a big two-out RBI single to give the Blazers a 5-1 lead.

Illinois Central would get a run back in the fifth to cut the deficit to 5-2 before the Blazers answered back with a pair in the seventh.

Corbin Napier again led off the inning reaching base after being hit by pitch, followed by Noble Johnson reaching on a fielder’s choice to set up a two-RBI single by freshman Evan Doran (Indianapolis, Ind.) to increase the Blazer lead to 7-2.

Vincennes would hold onto this lead down the stretch of the game, with Illinois Central looking to complete a late comeback but were only able to get a run in the ninth as VU closed out the series finale over the Cougars 7-3 to sweep the daily doubleheader and take the four-game conference series over Illinois Central College three games to one.

Freshman Grayson Reichert (Shepherdsville, Ky.) got the start in game two for the Trailblazers, throwing into the sixth inning allowing two runs on four hits and striking out four.

Freshman Jacob Allen (Vincennes, Ind.) was the only Trailblazers used out of the bullpen on the day, closing out the final four innings of the game, allowing one run on six hits and striking out three.

The Trailblazers will look to carry this momentum into their next slate of games as the Blazers hit the road Thursday, April 3 to take on Southwestern Illinois College in doubleheader action in Belleville, Ill. First pitch Thursday is set for 2 p.m. eastern.

Vincennes will then return home to Jerry Blemker Field Sunday, April 6 when the Blazers get a doubleheader rematch against the Blue Storm of Southwestern Illinois College, with first pitch Sunday set for 1 p.m. eastern.

BOX SCORE

GAME ONE

VU (14-17, 5-10) – 000   023   0 – 5

Illinois Central – 002   000   0 – 2

VINCENNES HITTING

2B – Edlin. RBI – Edlin 2, Douglas. HBP – Gricius, Napier. SB – Gross, Napier, Edlin. Sac Fly – Douglas.

GAME TWO

VU (15-17, 6-10) – 000   500   200 – 7

Illinois Central – 100   010   001 – 3

VINCENNES HITTING

RBI – Doran 2, Gross 2, Douglas, Montgomery, Johnson. HBP – Napier. SB – Johnson 2, Doran, Andrews, Edlin. Sac Bunt – Edlin.

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The Vincennes University baseball team improves to 15-17 on the season, with a 6-10 record in MWAC Conference play.

Screaming Eagles rock Trojans, 10-0

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Screaming Eagles rock Trojans, 10-0

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana junior right-hander Blake Kimball and junior leftfielder Hunter Miller led the Screaming Eagles to a 10-0 victory Saturday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI is 11-15 overall and 3-2 in the OVC after the second game of the series, while Little Rock goes to 10-17, 1-4 in the OVC.

Kimball (3-3) was dominating on the mound and posted his third win of the season. The junior right-hander threw eight scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks, while tying a season-high five strikeouts. The eight-shutout innings were the most by a USI starter since 2019 when Sammy Barnett threw a nine-inning shutout on the road at McKendree University.

Miller, who was a late substitution into the starting lineup due to an injury to sophomore second baseman Anthony Umbach, went five-for-five with two runs scored and two RBIs.

The Eagles took command of the game early with a five-run second inning to lead, 5-0. Junior catcher Micajah Wall and senior centerfielder Khi Holiday highlighted the frame with a two-run double and a two-run single, respectively.

The score would remain 5-0 until the seventh when Miller scored on an RBI double by sophomore rightfielder Cameron Boyd to give USI a 6-0 advantage. USI pushed the lead to 7-0 when Miller struck again, driving in junior first baseman Kannon Coakley with an RBI single.

USI finished the scoring in the eighth, posting three more runs, two coming on RBI singles by sophomore second baseman Parker Martin and Miller for the 10-0 final score.

At the plate as a team, USI had six players with two or more hits. Junior designed hitter Cole Kitchens‘ single in the second inning increased his hitting streak to a team-best 15 games.

Up Next for the Eagles:

The Eagles and the Trojans conclude the series Sunday with a new start time of NOON. The first pitch was moved up due to the forecast of storms Sunday afternoon.

Due to the ever-changing weather in March, USI encourages fans to watch for potential schedule changes on USIScreamingEagles.com, X, and Facebook.

UE baseball begins the weekend with a 7-3 win over Valparaiso

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UE baseball begins the weekend with a 7-3 win over Valparaiso

The Purple Aces won their first home conference game on Friday night
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team earned its first Missouri Valley Conference win at German American Bank Field on Friday night against the Valparaiso Beacons.
The Purple Aces led from the bottom of the second and never looked back in their 7-3 win over Valparaiso. Three UE batters had two hits, while four others had a hit with five multi-base hits. Starting pitcher Kenton Deverman (Dardenne Prairie, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt West HS) evened his record at 2-,2 while reliever Max Hansmann (Elmhurst, Ill. / York HS) picked up his first save of the year.
“I feel like it was a complete nine inning game on the mound, at the plate, and in the field,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll following the win. “It was a great way to start the weekend with an opportunity to win a series on Saturday. Deverman and Hansmann were great on the mound tonight. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow as we reveal the banners that represent the special 2024 season!”
It was a quick first inning and a half at Charles H. Braun Stadium as both pitchers faced no more than five batters. Evansville struck first in the bottom of the second as left fielder Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind. / Seymour HS) put a double into right with only one out on the board. Longmeier made his way to third on a fly out to right and scored the Aces’ first run on a single up the middle by second baseman Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo. / Blue Springs HS). Designated hitter Aaron Nehls (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) also scored on the McConnell single after getting on base with a walk and stealing second.
UE kept the 2-0 lead for an inning until they added another run in the bottom of the third as infielder Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley) hit a solo home run past the right field wall. The homer was McGinnis’s second of the year and the first to be hit by Evansville on its home field. The Beacons answered with a solo home run of their own in the top of the fourth inning to make it a 3-1 game.
Neither team scored in the fifth as the Aces had the only hit of the inning, an infield single from center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS). UE was able to add some insurance to its lead in the bottom of the sixth as shortstop Brodie Peart (Markham, Ontario) led off with a single to right center. Peart wouldn’t be on the base paths long as he was out on the next play, but Longmeier kept an Evansville runner on base.
Longmeier again moved into scoring position at third base on the next at bat as catcher Matt Flaherty (Lake Zurich, Ill. / Bellarmine) had an infield single that was overthrown by Valpo to first, allowing the extra base. Nehls put the ball into play during his plate appearance, scoring Longmeier, while Flaherty became the second out for a 4-1 Aces lead.
The Beacons cut UE’s lead by one as they had a leadoff triple that scored on a wild pitch. But Evansville was able to answer right back in the bottom of the seventh with three runs on four hits. Rumsey, right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC), Peart, and Flaherty all scored with two of the hits scoring runs.
Rumsey began the half inning with a double down the left field line and scored the Aces’ fifth run soon after on Taubert’s single up the middle. Taubert didn’t make it home as he was caught stealing, but Peart hit his first collegiate triple an at-bat later to get into scoring position. Longmeier was walked after Peart’s triple, putting runners at the corners for UE.
It was Flaherty who had the dagger of a hit putting a double back into right center. On Flaherty’s double, both Peart and Longmeier scored, making it a five-run lead for Evansville. Valparaiso added one more run in the top of the eighth with two hits, a single and a triple. The triple from the Beacon’s center fielder scored their third run of the game with two outs.
The Aces offense went down in order in the bottom of the eighth with three putouts in the field. But UE’s defense did the same to Valpo as Hansmann threw back-to-back strikeouts to secure the Evansville win. Hansmann tied his career-high in strikeouts on Friday, retiring five batters in 3.1 innings of work.
The Aces will get right back to it on Saturday afternoon for the second game of the series with the Beacons. UE will celebrate its historic 2024 season by unveiling two banners at Charles H. Braun Stadium before first pitch. Saturday’s game is set to begin at 12 p.m.
-www.gopurpleaces.com-

THUNDERBOLTS SHUT OUT 5-0 AT HUNTSVILLE

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THUNDERBOLTS SHUT OUT 5-0 AT HUNTSVILLE
 
Huntsville, Ala.:  Although the effort was without question there for Evansville, the start of the Thunderbolts’ final regular season road trip did not go as planned, as despite being nearly even in shots, the Thunderbolts were defeated 5-0 by the Havoc on Friday night at Von Braun Center.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Sunday, March 30th against the Peoria Rivermen at 3:05pm CT.
                The Havoc got off to an early start, with goals from Nathan Berke 2:24 into the game, followed by Buster Larsson at 3:45 to give the Havoc a 2-0 lead.  Evansville stopped the bleeding for the rest of the period and outshot the Havoc 12-5 in the second period, yet Huntsville scored the second period’s only goals, scored by Giovanni Procopio at 7:47 and Zack Conner at 18:46 to extend the lead to 4-0.  Evansville never gave up and continued to put as much to the net as possible, however they simply could not find a way to get a goal on the board, with one final goal against scored by the Havoc’s Austin Alger at 3:16 to make it a 5-0 final score. It was certainly a game full of bad luck for Evansville that was better to get out of the way before the playoffs.  In goal, Cole Ceci finished with 31 saves on 36 shots on goal.  The Thunderbolts and Havoc meet again on Saturday, March 29th at Von Braun Center.
Individual game tickets and group packages are on sale for the 2024-25 season.  Season tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now.  Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.
About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL.  The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com

UE track and field begins outdoor season in Saint Louis

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UE track and field begins outdoor season in Saint Louis

The Purple Aces competed in two separate meets on Friday
ST. LOUIS – The University of Evansville track and field team began its outdoor season at the WashU Distance Carnival and the SLU Speed/Power meet.
The Purple Aces had a big start to their 2025 outdoor season as five separate records fell across two meets. Along with five new program records, UE had nine podium finishes at the SLU Speed/Power meet. Overall, the Evansville men’s team placed fourth of 11th while the women placed sixth of 11th at the Speed/Power meet. The Aces only had three runners compete in the WashU Distance Carnival for no team score.
SPRINTS, HURDLES, RELAYS
UE’s first program record fell early as the 4×100-meter men’s team of Jose Ocampo (Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico), Connor Shin (Bloomington, Ind. / Bloomington North HS), Myles Terry (Evansville, Ind. / North HS), and Raymond Felton III (Houston / Clear Brook HS) placed second for the 76th fastest time in Division 1. The team ran the relay in 41.28 seconds to break the Evansville program record that stood for over 50 years by just over seven tenths of a second.
Sophomore sprinter Taylor Johnson (Evansville, Ind. / Reitz HS) had the best individual day for the Aces, breaking two program records and having a podium finish in all three events she competed in. Johnson earned the top spot in the women’s 400-meter race with a time of 57.30 seconds to break her program record in the event from 2024 by three-tenths of a second. The sophomore also finished third in both the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash while breaking the 200-meter dash program record. Johnson ran the 200 in 25.32 seconds to eclipse the previous record of 26 seconds and ran the 100 in 12.41 seconds. Sophomore Chase Hayes (Noblesville, Ind. / Western HS) was the only other UE sprinter on the women’s team to compete on Friday, placing ninth in the 400-meter race with a time of 1:02.02.
Evansville had three runners in the men’s 400-meter race placed in the Top 10, with sophomore Cedrik Filpo (Beloeil, Quebec) leading the way in third with a time of 48.95 seconds. Senior Adam Oulgout (St. Paul, Minn. / Central HS) finished sixth with a time of 50.93 seconds, and sophomore Jakub Nowicki (Poznan, Poland) finished 10th with a time of 51.91 seconds. The Aces had six runners in the men’s 100-meter dash as Felton III took the first place with a time of 10.60 seconds for the 82nd fastest time among DI runners.
Terry and Shin also finished in the Top 15 at 11.09 and 11.14 seconds for 10th and 12th. UE’s other three runners in the 100-meter were Ocampo at 11.20 seconds, freshman Zander Pickens (Poseyville, Ind. / North Posey HS) at 11.57 seconds, and senior Antwaun Powell (Ringgold, Ga. / Heritage HS) at 12.21 seconds for his first running event of the season.
In the hurdle events, junior Kate Walke (Batesville, Ind. / Oldenburg Academy) placed sixth in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.55 to break her 2024 record by five 1/100th of a second.  Pickens also competed in his first 400-meter hurdle event on Friday night, finishing in the Top 10 with a time of 1:00.29 for ninth.
MID-DISTANCE
Three of the four Evansville runners in the women’s 800-meter race finished back-to-back-to-back. Freshman Lauren Bradley (Russiaville, Ind. / Western HS) led the way in seventh with a time of 2:30.11, followed by freshman Rebekah Sachs (Milwaukee / Milwaukee School of Languages) and sophomore Kyndall Anthis (Pakota, Ind. / Princeton Community HS). Freshman Skyler Dickenson (Brownsburg, Ind. / Brownsburg HS) also finished in the Top 15 with a time of 2:39.44.
In the men’s 800 race freshman Kaiden McAllister (Lilburn, Ga. / Parkview HS) had the best finish for the Aces with a time of 2:02.20. He was followed by sophomore Owen Cuplin (Hampshire, Ill. / Hampshire HS) with a time of 2:02.91 and junior Alejandro Navarrette (Mogadore, Ohio / Mogadore HS) with a time of 2:09.29. UE’s final mid-distance event of the day was the men’s 1,500-meter race, where freshman Andrew Potter (Warsaw, Ind. / Warsaw Community HS) placed first at 4:25.15. Fellow freshman Oliver Wilgocki (Chesterton, Ind. / Chesterton HS) also had a podium finish, placing third with a time of 4:38.86.
DISTANCE
Evansville had three distance runners compete at the WashU Distance Carnival on Friday as well. Sophomore Tomasso Losma (Lombardia, Italy) ran the men’s 1500-meter race for a time of 3:55.62. While sophomore Samuel Lea (Worchester, England) broke his 5K time from 2024 by over 17 seconds at 14:41.82. The Aces’ last runner to compete at WashU was sophomore Avery Stephens (Newburg, Ind. / Castle HS) in the women’s 10K race with a time of 40:25.98.
JUMPS
UE had two athletes compete in the men’s long jump and the women’s high jump on Friday. Powell’s longest jump was 5.65 meters for his first outdoor event of the year. Sophomore Lilyana Gargano (Hudson, Fla. / Fivay HS) placed seventh in the women’s high jump at 1.45 meters.
FIELD
Junior Gwen Darrah (Cleveland, Ohio / Orange HS) finished fourth in the women’s hammer with a throw of 42.59 meters on Friday. Freshman Emma Bertel (Franklin, Ind. / Franklin Community HS) threw her first women’s hammer event at 25.21 meters.
Bertel had more success in the women’s shotput placing fifth with a throw of 11.02 meters. Senior Katilyn Sansone (Fairfield, Ohio / Mercy McAuley HS) had a Top 15 finish with a throw of 9.52 meters while junior Holland Morris (Florence, Ky. Randall K. Cooper HS) threw for 5.48 meters in her first event of the outdoor season.
The Evansville men’s team had two throwers in the hammer throw on Friday afternoon. Sophomore Tyler Chrene (Boardman, Ohio / Boardman HS) earned a podium finish with a throw of 48.15 meters for third. Sophomore Cole Johnson (Salem, Il. Salem Community HS) also placed in the Top 15 at 11th with a throw of 39.27 meters.
UP NEXT
The Aces return to competition on Saturday at the SLU Billiken Invite. UE will start the day with throws at 9:30 a.m., while the first track events begin at 11:30 a.m.
-www.gopurpleaces.com-

USI falls short in homestand opener, 2-1

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USI falls short in homestand opener, 2-1

Game 2 of the series has been moved up to 11 a.m. Saturday

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball opened its homestand with a disappointing 2-1 loss to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Friday evening at the USI Baseball Field. USI is 10-15 overall and 2-2 in the OVC after the first game of the series, while Little Rock goes to 10-16, 1-3 in the OVC.

USI allowed two runs in the top of the fourth on a bases-loaded hit by pitch and walk in a very tight pitcher’s duel and spelled the difference in the contest. The score would remain 2-0 until the ninth inning when USI put up a final challenge of Little Rock.

The Screaming Eagles opened the final frame with a single by junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens, who extended his team-best hitting streak to 14 games. Junior pinch runner Hunter Miller entered for Kitchens and advanced to second on a one-out walk to junior first baseman Kannon Coakley, who saw his hitting streak come to an end at 12 games.

After junior shortstop Clayton Slack flew out for the second out, USI got on the scoreboard with an RBI single by sophomore third baseman Parker Martin, scoring Miller with the Eagles’ lone tally. Little Rock would close out the contest with a strikeout of sophomore second baseman Anthony Umbach, stranding the tying and winning runs on base. For the game, USI stranded seven runners on the base paths.

On the mound, junior right Andres Gonzalez started and took the loss for the Eagles. Gonzalez (0-4) pitched the first four innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out four.

USI sophomore right-hand Abdriel Figueroa relieved effectively and kept the game close by matching a career-high 3.0 innings of work. Figueroa also struck out a career-best five Trojans in the outing.

Up Next for the Eagles:

The Eagles and the Trojans continue the series Saturday at a new start time of 11 a.m. and conclude Sunday at 1 p.m.

Saturday’s game is Jersey Day at the USI Baseball Field. Fans wearing a jersey to the game will receive a free popcorn and will have a chance to win St. Louis Cardinals tickets in a sixth-inning drawing.

Due to the ever-changing weather in March, USI encourages fans to watch for potential schedule changes on USIScreamingEagles.com, X, and Facebook.

UE softball sweeps doubleheader at Valparaiso

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UE softball sweeps doubleheader at Valparaiso

Aces look for series sweep on Saturday

 VALPARAISO, Ind. – University of Evansville head softball coach Mat Mundell picked up his 200th victory with the Purple Aces program as his team swept a road doubleheader at Valparaiso on Friday.

Game 1 – UE 7, Valparaiso 5

With the game tied at 3-3 in the top of the fourth inning, the Purple Aces scored four unanswered runs and hung on to take a 7-5 win in Friday’s opener.

After Valparaiso scored the opening run of the game in the bottom of the first, Evansville responded with a 3-run second inning.  Jess Willsey led things off with a single and Eliza Piggott followed with a walk.  Next up was Brooke Voss, who doubled to center field to bring in Willsey.  Miriah Powell added a sacrifice fly that gave UE its first lead at 2-1 before Voss capped thins off as she crossed the plate on a passed ball.

It did not take long for the Beacons to counter as they tied the game on a 2-run single with two outs in the bottom of the inning.  Evansville took advantage of a Valpo error to retake the lead in the third.  Niki Bode reached on a leadoff walk and moved to second on a wild pitch.  She would later score on a VU error.

Willsey’s second hit of the game brought in Niki Bode in the fifth to extend the lead to two runs before a 2-run sixth frame pushed the lead to 7-3.  Kynadee Warner and Powell scored on a dropped sacrifice fly off the bat of Callie Meinel.  A solo home run by Valpo cut the deficit to three and they looked for a final rally in the bottom of the seventh.  Two singles opened the frame before UE picked up the first out.  On the ensuing play, Voss and Bode recorded the game-ending double play to secure the victory.

Cassidy Gall picked up the pitching victory.  She tossed 2 1/3 scoreless frames.  Gracie Hollingsworth was credited with the save.  In 2 2/3 innings, she allowed two earned runs.  Kate Ridgway made the start.  In two frames, she allowed three runs, two being earned, on one hit.  As a team, UE posted seven hits with Willsey going 2-4.  Bode led the way with two runs scored.

Game 2 – UE 6, Valparaiso 4

Jess Willsey delivered an RBI double in the top of the 8th inning that proved to be the game winner in the second contest against the Beacons.

Patient at-bats in the first inning led to four walks and a 2-0 lead for the Aces.  Taylor Howe, Niki Bode, and Morgan Adams each drew walks to load the bases with no outs.  Eliza Piggott recorded UE’s fourth walk of the frame to bring in the first runoff the game before Brooke Voss was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in another run.

Valparaiso had its first scoring threat in the bottom half of the second, picking up two hits while loading the bases with two outs.  Sydney Weatherford forced a flyout to end the frame.  Bode led the top of the third off with a double and crossed the plate on a Beacon error to extend the advantage to 3-0.

Looking to tack on some extra insurance, the Aces loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth, but a flyout kept the lead at 3-0.  Valpo capitalized in the bottom of the inning, breaking through with two outs.  After loading the bases, a 2-run single cut the UE lead to a single run.  Evansville got that run back when Howe crossed the plate in the sixth.

Trailing by two entering the bottom of the seventh, the Beacons rallied to tie the game on a 2-run single with two outs.  Despite the late rally by VU, the Aces did not give up.  Howe led the top of the 8th off with a single, but the next two batters recorded outs.  That brought WIllsey to the plate, who delivered an RBI double to put UE back in front.  Eliza Piggott added an RBI triple to push the lead to two.  In the bottom of the frame, reliever Kate Ridgway retired the side in order to secure the win.

UE finished with seven hits with Willsey and Piggott picking up two apiece.  Sydney Weatherford made the start, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings of work.  Elle Jarrett threw the next 1 1/3 frames before Kate Ridgway registered the final five outs on the way to her fifth win of the season.  On Saturday, the Aces look for the series sweep as the teams square off at 12 p.m.

-www.GoPurpleAces.com-

Trailblazers split back-and-forth doubleheader at Illinois Central College

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Trailblazers split back-and-forth doubleheader at Illinois Central College

PEORIA, Ill. – The Vincennes University baseball team picked up a two-game split Friday afternoon in the first two games of their four-game Mid-West Athletic Conference series at Illinois Central College.

The Blazers dropped game one to the host Cougars 11-10 before returning strong to take game two of the day 13-7 over ICC.

The day got off to a tough start for the Blazers with Illinois Central striking first with three runs in the bottom of the first to take an early 3-0 lead in game one.

VU would get on the board in the third inning after a leadoff walk by sophomore Noble Johnson (Terre Haute, Ind.) and sophomore Damon Kay (Spencer, Ind.) being hit by a pitch.

The pair then moved up to scoring position after a successful sacrifice bunt by sophomore Bryce Gross (Bridgeport, Ill.) before sophomore Bradyn Douglas (Frankton, Ind.) came through with a sacrifice fly to score Johnson from third.

Illinois Central would get the run back in the bottom half of the inning to put their lead back at 4-1.

VU responded with another run in the fourth after freshman Carter Gricius (Scottsburg, Ind.) was hit by pitch and later scored on an RBI single by Noble Johnson.

After Illinois Central responded back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth, Vincennes shifted the momentum with a big five-run fifth inning.

The Trailblazers opened the inning with a double by freshman Jevan Andrews (Hobart, Ind.), followed by a single by sophomore Nate Montgomery (Lexington, Ind.) and a walk by Carter Gricius to load the bases.

VU would open the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly by sophomore Corbin Napier (Indianapolis, Ind.) and an RBI single by sophomore Yancey Edlin (Pekin, Ind.) and an RBI double by Noble Johnson, giving him two RBIs in the game.

Edlin would later score on a wild pitch and Johnson scoring after Bryce Gross reached on a fielding error to give the Trailblazers a 7-6 lead over the Cougars.

Illinois Central would even the score with a run in the fifth before VU regained the lead in the sixth on an RBI double by Carter Gricius.

ICC once again evened the score with a run in the bottom of the sixth, which Vincennes immediately responded with a pair of runs in the seventh, scoring on a two-out two-RBI double by Carter Gricius to give the Blazers a 10-8 lead.

Illinois Central would pick up some momentum in the eighth with a run to cut the deficit to one before coming back and scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth to pick up the walk-off win over the Blazers 11-10.

Sophomore Carson Allen (Louisville, Ky.) got the start on the mound for the Trailblazers in game one, throwing four innings, allowing five earned runs on nine hits and striking out two.

Freshman Ty Stultz (Terre Haute, Ind.) pitched four strong innings out of the bullpen, allowing one earned run on seven hits and punching out a career-high eight.

Illinois Central carried this momentum into game two, again striking early with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead.

Vincennes once again got on the board in the third, this time capitalizing on walks by Bryce Gross and Nate Montgomery to set up a big three-run home run by Carter Gricius, his third of the season, to give the Blazers a 3-2 lead.

VU continued to add to their lead in the fourth with a leadoff solo home run by Yancey Edlin, his second of the season to put the Blazers up 4-2, before getting another leadoff solo home run in the fifth by Jevan Andrews, his second of the season to give VU a three-run lead.

Illinois Central answered back in the bottom of the fifth to even the score at 5-5 with three runs in the inning.

Vincennes then came back stronger in the sixth, breaking away with a big six-run inning.

VU’s first six batter in the inning reached base safely, headlined by a bases loaded walk by Jevan Andrews, his second RBI of the game before Nate Montgomery cleared the bases with a three-RBI double to put the Blazers up 9-5.

Montgomery would come around to score on a fielding error put in play by Carter Gricius, who later came around to score in the inning on a fielding error put in play by Noble Johnson to give the Blazers an 11-5 advantage.

Illinois Central cut into the deficit in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs, which was answered by a pair of insurance runs by VU in the seventh.

Vincennes added their insurance runs in the seventh with a leadoff single by Bryce Gross, his third hit of the game, followed by a single by Jevan Andrews.

Gross scored his third run of the game on a fielder’s choice by Carter Gricius, his fourth RBI of the game and Andrews later scored on a successful double steal with Gricius.

Vincennes was able to hold off a late Cougar comeback in the bottom half of the inning as the Blazers picked up the 13-7 win over Illinois Central College.

Sophomore JD Bowser (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) got the start in game two for the Trailblazers, throwing six innings, allowing six earned runs on six hits and striking out eight, matching his season high.

Freshman Jakob Hoyer (Georgetown, Ind.) came in from his shortstop position to close out the seventh inning, striking out two in one inning of work on the mound.

The Trailblazers will look to carry this momentum into the series finale doubleheader when the two teams return to the field tomorrow, Saturday, March 29 at 1 p.m. eastern.

BOX SCORE

GAME ONE

VU (12-17, 3-10) – 001   151   200 – 10

Illinois Central – 301   211   012 – 11

VINCENNES HITTING

2B – Gricius 2, Andrews, Johnson. RBI – Gricius 3, Johnson 2, Douglas, Napier, Edlin. HBP – Kay 2, Gross, Gricius. Sac Fly – Douglas, Napier. SB – Gross, Johnson, Edlin. Sac Bunt – Gross.

GAME TWO

VU (13-17, 4-10) – 003   116   2 – 13

Illinois Central – 200   032   0 – 7

VINCENNES HITTING

2B – Gross, Montgomery. HR – Gricius, Andrews, Edlin. RBI – Gricius 4, Montgomery 3, Andrews 2, Edlin. HBP – Napier. SB – Gricius, Andrews. Sac Bunt – Douglas.

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The Vincennes University baseball team improves to 13-17 on the season, with a 4-10 record in MWAC Conference play.

Screaming Eagles clinch series win with doubleheader sweep Friday

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Screaming Eagles clinch series win with doubleheader sweep Friday

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball kicked off the start of a six-game homestand Friday with a doubleheader sweep to clinch a series win against Tennessee Tech University, winning 5-1 and 3-0 from USI Softball Field.

Southern Indiana (8-17, 5-5 OVC), who had been on the road for the previous six games in the last couple of weeks, came out with a bang in the bottom of the first inning in Friday’s first game. After a pair of free passes, senior infielder Whitley Hunter barreled up a three-run home run to left field to put the Screaming Eagles up early, 3-0. It was Hunter’s first career home run in a USI uniform.

USI tacked onto its lead in the bottom of the fourth. After three consecutive singles to load the bases, sophomore infielder Sydney Long shot a pitch back up the middle to drive in a pair of runs and push the Screaming Eagles’ advantage up to 5-0.

Tennessee Tech (10-22, 4-7 OVC) tallied an unearned run in the sixth, but senior pitcher Josie Newman sealed the deal with her 11th complete game this season.

Newman (5-10) struck out six and gave up only two hits and the unearned run. Offensively, USI totaled nine hits in game one with freshman first baseman Lilly Brown recording two hits and sophomore outfielder Kate Satkoski going 3-3 at the plate.

For the Golden Eagles, sophomore starting pitcher Emily York (4-6) was dealt the loss after surrendering all five runs in 3.1 innings pitched. Senior pitcher Payton Wagner tossed the last 2.2 innings.

The second game of the twin bill started out in a pitcher’s duel between Tennessee Tech’s freshman pitcher Lainey Fitzgerald and USI’s freshman pitcher Kylie Witthaus. There were only four combined singles allowed through the first three and a half innings.

USI ended the scoreless battle in the home half of the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, junior outfielder Caroline Stapleton delivered a two-out RBI single to give the Screaming Eagles a 1-0 lead. Stapleton registered two hits in the game.

After Witthaus kept the shutout intact in the fifth and sixth innings, Southern Indiana added some insurance in the bottom of the sixth with a run on an RBI triple by Satkoski who later came home to score on a wild pitch to make it a 3-0 lead for USI.

Witthaus finished the game to improve to 3-6 on the season, notched her fifth complete game this season, and also pitched her first career shutout and first of the season for USI. Witthaus struck out four and allowed only four hits in the outing.

Tennessee Tech’s Fitzgerald also went the distance, dropping to 3-6 after surrendering three runs with eight strikeouts in six innings of work.

Southern Indiana will aim to collect a series sweep on Saturday in the series finale. First pitch for Saturday’s game at USI Softball Field has been moved up to 9:30 a.m. due to rain in the afternoon forecast.

Saturday’s game can be heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Additional coverage can be found at usiscreamingeagles.com.

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