Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Senior Cody Fick improved his record to 3-0 on the mound and sophomore Jake Naumann earned his first career save, as the University of Evansville baseball team topped Michigan State, 6-5, Sunday afternoon at Braun Stadium. The Aces claimed the series, 2-1, and improved their record to 9-7 on the season, while the Spartans fell to 12-5 overall.

Fick threw six full innings, allowing two runs on four hits, while also going 2-for-4 at the plate, and Naumann shut down the Spartans for the final 2.1 innings, allowing just one hit.

Evansville led by as many as four runs, but Michigan State rallied in the seventh, making it a one-run game down the stretch.

UE built its lead by scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the first off starter David Garner (2-2) when junior Trentt Copeland reached and scored on an error. Copeland crossed the plate again in the third, belting a triple to left field and scoring on a wild pitch to give UE a 2-0 advantage.

The Spartans responded in the fourth with a solo run when Jeff Holm singled home Jared Hook. Hook reached base on a single and made his way around the path on a sacrifice bunt and balk.

Evansville batted around the order in the fifth to stretch the lead to four runs, stringing together four hits for three runs. Leading off the inning, freshman Jake Mahon singled up the middle and scored on sophomore Eric Stamets’ sacrifice fly. Copeland and Fick hit back-to-back singles to load the bases with one out. After a pitching change, Oesterle earned an RBI walk, and senior Greg Wallace capped the rally with a hard hit ball to right field that plated Copeland and put UE up 5-1.

The clubs traded runs in the sixth, as Holm slugged a home run over the right field wall for Michigan State, and Copeland plated Mahon on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning.

However, the Spartans tagged UE’s bullpen for three runs on three hits and three walks in the seventh. Sophomore Josh Biggs gave up a leadoff double and two consecutive walks with one out. Freshman Tyler Miller came in relief, but Hook singled up the middle, scoring Biggs’ two runners and Torsten Boss singled home Hook to cap Michigan State’s rally. Naumann came in and got the final out of the inning for the Aces.

Naumann wrapped up the game, shutting out the Spartans in the eighth and ninth to preserve the win.

“We had a lot of players step up for us today, and that’s what you need to do in order to win against a good team like Michigan State,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll. “Fick had another strong outing on the mound and Mahon had a great day at the plate, stepping up as a freshman.”

Mahon went 2-for-2 with two runs scored. Copeland, Fick, and Wallace also recorded two hits apiece as Evansville outhit the Spartans 11-8.

The Aces are back in action Wednesday when they host UT-Martin at Braun Stadium. UE beat the Skyhawks, 16-3, back on March 1.