Game One Box Score (PDF)

Game Two Box Score (HTML)
Game Two Box Score (PDF)

Keegan Dennis started game two of the doubleheader for the University of Evansville Purple Aces and made quick work of the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Cougars. Dennis tossed a seven inning no-hitter, striking out 11 batters and allowing just two base runners. The no-hitter is the first for Evansville since April 10, 2005 when Fred Jones shut down the Northern Iowa Panthers.

 

“After the offense got me the lead, it tried to pitch like it was 1-0,” Dennis said. “Our goal coming into this series was to make no errors and the guys behind me played great defense tonight.

 

“I knew I was in for something big when I got through the fifth. I usually struggle in the fifth, so I tried to really focus going into that inning. I had great command of my slider, curveball and fastball tonight, which allowed me to put pressure on them and make them chase the pitches that I wanted them to.

 

“The final three outs seemed like seven out there, but Tom [Heithoff] made a great play for the first out which let me settle in and go after the next two batters.”

 

Evansville jumped out early, plating a single run in the bottom of the third inning. Catcher Andrew Gher led off the inning with a single up the middle and was advanced to second on a sacrifice hit from shortstop Andy Smith. Center fielder Jim Viscomi came to the plate next and would bring Gher home with a single to center field to give the Purple Aces a 1-0 lead.

 

That would be all Dennis would need on the mound, but Evansville would add to the lead in the following inning, plating a total of four runs. Left fielder Greg Wallace led off the inning with a single through the right side of the infield and would steal second base before first baseman Tom Heithoff brought him home with a double to the right field wall. Heithoff advanced to third on a single by designated hitter Andy Pascoe and would touch home two batters later on a single by right fielder Jared Baehl. After Pascoe was cut down trying to score on a sacrifice bunt by Gher, Andy Smith came to the plate and brought Baehl around with a single to left field. Viscomi came to the plate next and continued the rally, doubling to left-center field to plate Baehl.

 

UE tacked on three more in the bottom of the fifth. Wallace led off the inning with a triple to right-center field and would score on a single by Heithoff. Heithoff advanced to third on a single off the bat of Pascoe and would score on a sacrifice fly from second baseman Trentt Copeland. After Pascoe moved to third base on the sacrifice fly by Copeland, Baehl brought him home with a groundout to the third baseman.

The Purple Aces plated their final run in the bottom of the sixth, when Viscomi hit a one-out solo home run over the left field wall for his fifth round tripper of the season.

In game one, Evansville used a two walk-off base hit to take the victory, something that they have used quite often this season.

First it was Copeland on Friday, and today the hero was Heithoff, who singled in the winning run with one out and the bases loaded against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Evansville a 7-6 victory at Braun Stadium. The game was scheduled for seven innings since it's part of a non-conference doubleheader.

Heithoff also picked up the pitching victory Saturday against the Cougars. The junior from Carroll, Iowa pitched the final two innings, allowing no hits and facing the minimum six batters.

Basehits by Shawn Kuester and Viscomi to open the eighth inning got the Aces started, and after Cody Fick popped up into short center, SIUE pitcher Scott Spinelle walked Wallace to load the bases and set up Heithoff's heroics. Heithoff went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs.