Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the first time this spring, the University of Evansville baseball team will be going for a conference sweep tomorrow, after the Aces edged Missouri State, 5-4, Saturday afternoon at Braun Stadium. Evansville improved its record to 24-15 on the season and 5-6 in the Valley, while the Bears fell to 24-17 overall and 6-5 in the MVC. Sunday’s game has been moved up to a noon start due to the expected rain coming into the area.

With one out in the top of the ninth, closer Jake Naumann faced a bases loaded jam, but got the groundball for a game-ending double play, preserving the victory for the Aces. It marked Naumann’s fourth save of the season, and second in as many days. Freshman Cole Isom (5-4) earned the win, tossing 7 2/3 innings, allowing four runs, eight scattered hits, two walks, while striking out two.

Junior Trentt Copeland led Evansville’s 12-hit effort, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Eric Stamets, Greg Wallace, Jared Baehl, and Chris Pearson, also all had multi-hit games, tallying two apiece.

Evansville got ahead and held the lead the entire way, striking first in the bottom of the third inning. Stamets and Wallace led off with back-to-back singles, and Copeland knocked home the lead runner with a single through the left side. On a double steal and wild throw-down to third base by the catcher, Wallace crossed the plate, giving UE a 2-0 head start.

The Bears tallied a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly, but the Aces answered right back with a solo run of their own when Stamets’ double down the left field line scored Pearson, who reached on a single.

UE expanded their lead to 4-1 in the fifth when Copeland blistered a double and Baehl a single, consecutively, putting runners on first and third. Copeland scored on Baehl’s stolen base and a wild throw from second to home.

However, Missouri State’s Brent Seifert belted a two-run homerun in the sixth to make it a one-run ball game again, 4-3.

In the seventh, Baehl smoked a two-out triple to deep centerfield, plating Copeland for an insurance run the Aces would find out to need later. The triple marked Baehl’s sixth of the season.

With a 5-3 lead heading into the eighth, the Bears inched within one when Kevin Medrano crossed the plate on Luke Voit’s RBI single. Medrano led MSU on the day, going 5-for-5, all singles.

Naumann earned the save but not before some drama, walking the leadoff and hitting what would be the go-ahead run with one out. However, the sophomore bared down and got the 4-6-3 double play to clinch the series for the Aces.

Blake Barber (6-3) took the loss for the Bears, throwing six innings, allowing ten hits, four runs, two earned, and struck out five. Reliever Pierce Johnson tossed the seventh and eighth, giving up one run.

The Aces look to capture the sweep noon tomorrow at Braun Stadium.