BOX SCORE

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Senior pitcher Kyle Lloyd allowed just one run and tied a career-high with 12 strikeouts in a complete-game effort and redshirt junior Nick Hathcoat delivered a two-out, walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to lift the University of Evansville baseball team to a 2-1 win over visiting Missouri State Saturday afternoon at Braun Stadium.
 
Six different hitters combined for Evansville’s (16-28, 7-7 MVC) six hits, as Hathcoat and senior Jason Hockemeyer each recorded an RBI.  Redshirt sophomore Kevin Kaczmarski finished 1-for-3 and a run scored, while freshman Shain Showers went 0-for-3, but scored the game-winning tally after getting hit by a pitch before scoring on Hathcoat’s single.
 
Lloyd improved his record to 6-2 on the year, as he scattered five hits and walked two in the complete-game, 12-strikeout effort.  Grant Gordon suffered the loss for Missouri State (26-12, 10-4 MVC) to fall to 1-2 this spring, while Jonathan Harris, who started the contest for the Bears, tossed a strong 7.0 innings, striking out six around three walks and giving up just one run on four hits.
 
The Aces scored their first run in the bottom of the first, as Kaczmarski led off the inning with a double down the line in left and later scored on a hard ground out by Hockemeyer that deflected off the leg of Harris to MSU third baseman Joey Hawkins, who was able to throw out Hockemeyer at first.
 
Lloyd struck out the side in the top of the first and was able to pitch around a leadoff double off the bat of Luke Voit in the top half of the second.
 
However, Missouri State was able to manufacture a run in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 1-1.  Travis McComack started the frame with a single through the right side and Dylan Becker followed with a single to right that allowed McComack to advance to third.  Two batters later, pinch hitter Matt Dezort hit a dribbler to the left side of the infield allowing McComack to score from third.
 
Lloyd continued to pitch around trouble in the later innings, as he gave up a leadoff double in the sixth, issued a two-out walk in the seventh and surrendered a two-out double in the eight, but kept the Bears off the scoreboard.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, UE threatened by putting runners on the corners with just one out following a two-base wild pitch, but Gordon was able to induce an inning-ending double play to keep the score tied at 1-1.
 
The Bears’ best chance to take the lead came in the top of the ninth.  Conner Wilson found himself on third base to start the inning, after Lloyd misfired on a throw to first base and Wilson was able to scamper around to third, as the ball ended up near the Evansville bullpen down the right field line.  Lloyd was able to recover and retire the next three hitters in order with a pair of groundouts and a strikeout to keep the score knotted at 1-1.
 
In the Aces’ half of the ninth, Gordon plunked Showers with a 1-2 pitch to put him on first with just one down.  Showers moved into scoring position on a ground out by senior Andy Lasher and scored on Hathcoat’s walk-off single to shallow right.
 
The Aces and Bears will meet for the rubber game tomorrow at 1 p.m., which will also be Senior Day for Evansville, as UE will honor its six seniors prior to tomorrow’s contest.  Senior Josh Biggs is slated to start for the Aces, while MSU is scheduled to send Andy Cheray to the mound.