BOX SCORE

WICHITA, Kan. – The University of Evansville baseball team halted its seven-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory over Wichita State in Missouri Valley Conference action Saturday afternoon at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kan.  Senior Kyle Lloyd spun a gem for the Purple Aces on the mound, as he allowed only one earned run over 8.1 innings, struck out eight and retired all nine leadoff batters.
 
“It all began on the mound for us today,” head coach Wes Carroll said.  “What Kyle Lloyd did for us today was magnificent.  By getting leadoff hitters out, it allowed him to pitch into the ninth and get us deep into the game. By working ahead in counts, it allowed him to put pressure on the hitter to defend against his changeup and he was able to locate it extremely well today.”
 
Redshirt sophomore Kevin Kaczmarski recorded his third-straight multi-hit game and extended his hitting streak to 16 games by going 3-for-4 with a run scored to lead Evansville (15-24, 6-5 MVC) offensively.  Senior Chris Pearson finished 2-for-5 with an RBI double, while freshman Jonathan Ramon posted a 2-for-3 effort, scored a run and stole his first career base.
 
Lloyd improved to 5-2 on the season with the victory, as seven of the nine Wichita State (22-18, 8-3 MVC) hits against him came with two outs.  Senior Jake Naumann earned his seventh save of the season by recording the final two outs of the game.  Shocker starter A.J. Ladwig fell to 3-4 on the year, as he allowed six runs, four earned on 10 hits in his 8.0 innings on the mound.
 
The Aces jumped all over Ladwig in the top of the first, as they were able to score four runs on four hits and a WSU error to grab a 4-0 lead.  Kaczmarski led off the game with a single up the middle, freshman Shain Showers reached when Ladwig misfired on a throw to first on Showers’ sacrifice bunt attempt and Pearson drove them both home with a two-run double down the right field line.  Senior Andy Lasher followed Pearson with a double to left center to put UE up 3-0, before freshman Eric McKibban capped the inning by scoring Lasher on a sacrifice fly in foul territory.
 
“Our hitters did an excellent job in the first inning of jumping on the fastball and really putting the barrel on the ball,” Carroll said.  “Andy Lasher drove a ball to the gap and we put pressure on their pitcher by getting a great bunt from Shain Showers.  Across the board, our guys were ready to go today.”
 
Wichita State cut Evansville’s lead in half in the bottom of the third, as it took advantage of an error by Showers to score a pair of unearned runs.  After Lloyd retired the first two hitters of the inning, Tanner Dearman wound up at second following Showers’ error and scored on a two-out hit by Garrett Bayliff.  Bayliff was then able to cross the plate on Tyler Baker’s single to left to make the score 4-2.
 
Lloyd and Ladwig both settled in and put zeros on the scoreboard in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, before the Aces were able to add insurance runs in both the eighth and ninth frames.
 
Ramon led off the top of the seventh with a base hit through the left side and advanced to third on a one-out single off the bat of redshirt junior Nick Hathcoat.  UE then executed a double steal and Ramon scored when Shocker catcher Parker Zimmerman was unable to apply the tag after a throw by Dearman. 
 
In the eighth, senior Jason Hockemeyer and Pearson led off the inning with back-to-back singles, before WSU elected to load the bases with one out by issuing an intentional walk to Ramon.  Redshirt sophomore Kyle Pollock followed the walk with a pinch hit, RBI single through the left side to score Hockemeyer and extend UE’s lead to 6-2.
 
WSU threatened in the bottom of the ninth and brought the tying run to the plate after Dearman drove in Taylor Doggett with a one-out single through the left side, but Naumann was able to get Bayliff to line out to right and Baker to bounce out to second to end the game.
 
“It was good to see us play good, Evansville baseball,” Carroll said.  “It was good to see us take a step back in the right direction today.  We now have an opportunity to win a road series in the Valley on Sunday.”
 
The rubber match between Evansville and Wichita State is slated for 1 p.m. Sunday at Eck Stadium.  Senior southpaw Josh Biggs will take the mound for the Aces and the Shockers will counter with lefty Drew Palmer.