EVANSVILLE – Connor Strain was quick to credit a defense that turned three double plays for his performance on Saturday afternoon, but when the dust settled at Charles H. Braun Stadium, the senior pitcher put together his best outing the season, tossing seven scoreless innings as the University of Evansville baseball team picked up a 4-1 victory over visiting Indiana State.
"I thought we had a really good game as a team," Strain said. "I pitched well most of the game, but the defense behind me made some big plays. I feel like I've been getting a little better over the past few weeks. Today, it was just about attacking the zone and making them earn everything. I didn't want to give up free bases. That's really important for me. I just tried to keep the ball on the ground and let my infield keep making good plays."
Strain (1-2), who went down with an injury before the start of conference play a season ago, stepped up to the tall task he was presented as he halted a four-game conference losing skid for the Aces (10-21, 1-4 Missouri Valley). The senior out of Shelburn, Ind., a small town just 22 miles from the campus of ISU, scattered eight hits and struck out seven without issuing a single walk.
"It all starts with the pitching," UE head coach Wes Carroll said. "With the effort that we got out of Connor over seven innings, it put Austin Allinger and Brandon Gomer in better positions. We don't have to stretch them out. It was great to see that, and then our offense responds with back-to-back hits with runners in scoring position late. That was the difference today."
Not to be outdone, ISU starter and Santa Claus native Tyler Ward impressed as well over 7.1 frames, allowing four hits and three runs (one earned) with six punchouts. He dropped to 2-2 on the year as the Sycamores fell to 14-13 and 1-1 in league play.
UE took advantage of a number of Sycamore miscues in the first. After Stewart Nelson reached on a fielding error, he stole second on failed pickoff before a Trey Hair walk and passed ball put both runners in scoring position. A fielder's choice and error allowed both to touch home, and the score would stay at 2-0 for the ensuing six innings.
In the top of the eighth, ISU parlayed some good fortune into a bases-loaded jam with a walk and a pair of infield singles off UE reliever Allinger. After a one-out walk loaded the bases, a fielding error resulted in a score to halve the deficit, but Allinger worked his way out of it when pinch-hitter C.J. Huntley grounded into a double play to end the threat.
Nelson and Hair each picked up a hit and a run in the bottom half of the eighth to put some insurance on the board for the ninth, and Brandon Gomer would retire Dane Giesler for the final out of the game to pick up his third save.
Nelson and Hair combined to go 2-for-7 at the plate but scored all four runs. Meanwhile, Travis Tokarek ended 2-for-4, and Andrew Tanous, who reached twice on an error, finished 0-for-4. It was the first time in 19 games that Tanous had not reached base via a hit, walk or hit-by-pitch.
Both teams will return to Braun Stadium on Sunday as each is in search of its first conference series victory of the season. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
NOTES: The UE-ISU series is one of the oldest in school history, dating all the way back to 1946, when the Aces program was restarted … Since 1978, UE is 44-60 against the Sycamores … In Valley regular season contests, the Aces are 43-41 against ISU … UE has won 12 of 22 overall series against the Sycamores, including three of the last four … Since 1978, the Aces are 221-168 against Indiana institutions … Since 1987, the Aces are 14-8 on April 8 and 330-279 in the month of April.
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