Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- The University of Evansville baseball team led 3-2 heading into the ninth inning, but Michigan State used an eight-run ninth to steal the win away from the Aces for a final 10-3 score Friday night at Braun Stadium.

Closer Adam Culiver (0-1) took the loss allowing six of the runs in the final frame in 0.1 innings of work, while Michigan’s Tony Wieber (2-0) earned the win. Sophomore Kyle Lloyd threw seven full innings for the Aces, allowing just four hits and one unearned run, striking out four, and was in position for the win, but ended up with the no-decision.

“Lloyd pitched great, but we let a lot of offensive opportunities slip away from us that could have put the game away tonight,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll. “You can’t let a good team like Michigan State hang around for that long.”

Senior Ryan Oesterle led UE at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI double, while Eric Stamets and Cody Fick also recorded two hits. Stamets has now hit in 20 straight games.

In the first inning, the Spartans struck first with one run in the top of the frame on a sacrifice fly, but Evansville responded with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. Junior Trentt Copeland scored on his and Fick’s double steal, and Oesterle belted a two-out double, scoring Fick.

Oesterle led off the fourth inning with a single to right field and advanced around the bases on senior Jared Baehl’s sacrifice bunt and scored on an error to give UE a 3-1 advantage.

With sophomore Jake Naumann on the mound, the Spartans scored one in the eighth, leading off the inning with a double, and plating the run on a two-out single.

The Aces' closer, Culiver, who leads the squad with four saves on the season and had yet to allow a run in five appearances, came out of the bullpen in the ninth. He uncharacteristically walked the leadoff man and Michigan State laid down two consecutive bunts, the first for a hit, the second a sac, to put runners on second and third and one out. Culiver intentionally walked the next batter to give the Aces a game-ending double play situation, but Jeff Holm lined a hit to right field, scoring two and giving the Spartans a 4-3 lead. Culiver allowed one more hit and a hit batter before freshman Peter Spear came in relief. Michigan State finished the inning with eight runs on six hits.

Spear was credited with two earned runs on three hits, getting the final two outs of the inning.

Evansville was unable to get anything going offensively in the ninth, as Wieber sat the Aces down in order.

The Purple Aces have another shot at the Spartans tomorrow, taking the field for a 2:00 p.m. CDT start. Cole Isom will be on the mound for Evansville.