MACON, Ga.—The University of Evansville baseball team combined three home runs with solid starting pitching to take the opener of a non-conference doubleheader with Mercer on Saturday at Claude Smith Field in Macon, Georgia, only to have the host Bears repay the favor in the nightcap.

 

Evansville was able to win the opener, 9-6, behind the bats of junior outfielder Greg Wallace and junior infielder Cody Fick, as they combined to go 7-for-10 with three home runs and six RBI in game one. The duo helped Evansville to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double by Fick and a two-run home run by Wallace. Wallace would then launch a solo home run in the third inning to help UE push the lead to 5-0, before a two-run home run by Fick in the fourth inning extended the cushion to 7-0. 

 

Mercer would finally solve the tosses of sophomore right-hander Matt Netherton in the fifth inning, as the Bears scored five runs in the frame against Netherton and reliever Zach Taylor to trim UE’s lead to 7-5. Netherton had held Mercer to just a first-inning single while striking out five through the first four innings in his first career start. The Purple Aces would quickly answer back, though, with two runs in the sixth inning to build a 9-5 lead, and Taylor (1-0) and senior reliever Tom Heithoff (save) would work around a seventh-inning run to give UE its first victory of 2010.

 

“I really thought that Matt Netherton did a great job on the mound today in game one, and both Cody Fick and Greg Wallace had monster games offensively,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “Our offense really did a good job of competing in the first game, and our pitchers stepped up when they had to to get the win. I’m just disappointed that we were not able to repeat that performance in the nightcap.”

 

Mercer would win the nightcap, 6-4, as the Bears launched three home runs in the first four innings to build a 6-1 lead and then held off the Purple Aces. Wallace would launch his third home run of the doubleheader to lead off the game, and freshman shortstop Eric Stamets also added his first career home run in the sixth inning, a two-run shot, but UE was held to just five hits by the combination of three Mercer pitchers.

 

With the doubleheader split, Evansville currently stands at 1-5 on the 2010 season. Mercer, meanwhile, improves to 4-3 overall. The two teams will conclude the four-game series on Sunday afternoon at 12 noon central time with a single, nine-inning game. Freshman left-hander Josh Biggs is expected to make his first career start on the mound for the Purple Aces.