Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With one out in the bottom of the ninth, senior Trentt Copeland’s gapper to deep left-centerfield scored junior Eric Stamets from third, giving the University of Evansville a 6-5 victory over the visiting UT Martin Skyhawks Tuesday evening at Braun Stadium. The Aces (10-6) came back from a 5-0 deficit to capture their 10^th win of the year, while extending UT Martin’s (3-14) losing streak to 10 games.

Junior reliever Jake Naumann (1-0) earned the win, as he kept the Skyhawks off the scoreboard through the final three frames, allowing two scattered hits and struck out three.

On staff day, four UE pitchers saw action with Peter Spear getting the start. He threw 2.2 innings, allowed four runs and seven hits. Out of the pen, Tyler Miller hurled 2.1 frames, allowing one unearned run, three hits and struck out one, while James Kohler tossed a scoreless sixth inning, giving up one hit and struck out one.

Offensively, four Aces recorded multi-hit games, led by Stamets’ two doubles in his 3-for-5 day, while Tim Bodine (3-for-4) also recorded three hits. Jake Mahon (2-for-3) was stellar, logging two doubles and three runs batted in, and Copeland (2-for-5) also had multiple hits, including the game-winner.

After a scoreless first inning, UT Martin struck in the second, stringing three hits together off Spear.  With bases loaded and two outs in the second inning, Phil Sorenson made it a 4-0 game when he doubled to the left field gap, plating two more.
In the fourth, the Skyhawks tacked on an unearned run following a leadoff single, fielding error and two-out single up the middle for a 5-0 advantage.

However, that would be UTM’s final run as the Aces bullpen silenced the Skyhawks’ bats the rest of the evening, and UE’s bats exploded for eight hits in the final five frames.

In the fifth, Bodine got things going with a single up the middle. Stamets and Mahon followed suit with back-to-back doubles, scoring one. With one out, Jason Hockemeyer’s RBI chop single to the second base area plated Stamets, and Mahon came around to score on a passed ball to make the score 5-3.

The Aces continued to fight back in the sixth, tying the ballgame, 5-5. After freshman Kyle Schwinghamer reached base on a walk and Bodine singled through the left side to lead off the inning, Mahon’s liner up the middle brought in both runners, evening the score.

A scoreless seventh and eighth frame for both squads led to the dramatic bottom of the ninth. Stamets led off the inning with a perfectly placed looper that landed in shallow left field. The quick-footed junior turned it into a double, hustling to second base. Mahon laid down a beautiful sacrifice bunt on the third base line, moving Stamets to third, and setting up Copeland’s walk off hit. Copeland’s ball would have been worthy of extra bases had UE not needed just one run for the win.

The Aces have a quick turnaround, heading to Austin Peay Wednesday for another non-conference game. First pitch in Clarksville, Tenn. is set for 6:00 p.m. CT.