EVANSVILLE, Ind.—For the second time in the month of April, the University of Evansville baseball team was able to knock off the Murray State University Thoroughbreds by a score of 6-5 on Tuesday. This time, it just took a couple extra innings and almost an extra hour longer.

 

Evansville posted its second 6-5 victory over Murray State in the last three weeks on Tuesday, thanks to sophomore designated hitter Andy Pascoe’s RBI double down the right-field line in the bottom of the 11th inning, which snapped a 5-5 tie and helped UE close the month of April with a 6-6 home record. Pascoe’s double snapped a three hour-57 minute marathon which included 24 base hits, nine hit batters, 10 walks, and 32 men left on base between the two teams.

 

Murray State struck first in the third inning with a pair of runs on back-to-back doubles by right fielder Matt Scheer and shortstop Kyle Tiernan to grab an early 2-0 lead. Evansville would answer right back though with three runs in the bottom of the third inning, highlighted by a two-run double by junior first baseman Derek Melton and an RBI single by freshman third baseman Sean Loggins, to grab a 3-2 lead.

 

The teams would trade single runs in the fifth inning, only to have the Thoroughbreds of Murray State plate single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to take a 5-4 lead. The Purple Aces would rally to tie the game at 5-5 in the eighth inning, though, on a sacrifice fly by Melton, before both teams would work out of jams in the ninth inning to force extra innings.

 

Murray State would put the potential winning run at second base in the ninth inning, before UE reliever John Foley would induce a fielder’s choice ground out and a strike out to retire the side. Evansville would then load the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning with one out, before MSU reliever Drew Leeper came on to get an inning-ending double-play to end the threat and force extra innings.

 

Murray State would load the bases against the Evansville bullpen in the 11th inning, but freshman RHP Matthew Page (1-4) would work out of the jam thanks to a force out at home plate, and a nice play turned in by Melton at first base, as he knocked down a line-drive off of the bat of second baseman Matt Hon and beat him to the bag for the final out of the frame.

 

Junior second baseman Andy Smith would then begin UE’s 11th-inning rally with a solid two-out single to left field off of Leeper (1-1). Pascoe then drove an outside 1-2 delivery from Leeper down the right-field line to score Smith from first base with the game-winning run.

 

Loggins paced Evansville’s offensive attack by going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Melton also went 2-for-5 with three RBI and Pascoe added a pair of base hits as well. Third baseman Tyler Owen, a native of Evansville, paced Murray State offensively by going 4-for-6 with a run scored and an RBI.

 

With the victory, Evansville improves to 10-34 on the season. Murray State, meanwhile, falls to 16-23 overall. Evansville will return to the diamond on Friday night, as the Purple Aces will open up a four-game, non-conference series against Chicago State at 6:00 p.m. UE and Chicago State will also play a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and conclude the series at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.