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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.—The University of Evansville baseball team tacked on runs in six of the nine innings on Wednesday night, and then had to withstand a furious ninth-inning rally to hold off the home-standing Austin Peay Governors, 8-7, at Raymond C. Hand Park in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Evansville took an 8-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning, but saw the Governors rally for six runs in the ninth inning to cut the lead to 8-7. UE senior right-hander John Foley was able to work out of a two-on, one-out jam though to preserve the lead by striking out the final two men he faced to earn his first save of the year.
“You really have to credit Austin Peay,” said UE head coach
Wes Carroll. “They never gave up and kept battling in the batter’s box and had a chance to potentially win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning if it were not for John Foley striking out the final two batters to win the game. Hopefully, our team learned a lesson from that, because Austin Peay showed what you can do if you never give up and keep battling for a full nine innings.”
Austin Peay initially struck first in the contest, plating a run in the bottom of the first inning off of UE starter
Tom Heithoff on back-to-back singles by outfielder Adam Browett and first baseman Matt Kole. Heithoff (2-1) would quickly settle down though, limiting the Governors to just one more hit while striking out five in 5.0 innings of work to earn the victory.
The UE offense would get on track in the third inning, plating two runs on a run-scoring wild pitch and an RBI double by sophomore third baseman
Cody Fick to grab a 2-1 lead. UE would then flex its muscle, using solo home runs by sophomore designated hitter
Greg Wallace and Fick in the fourth and fifth innings to expand the lead to 4-1.
UE would tack on another run in the sixth inning on an RBI base hit by reserve freshman outfielder
Jordan Chavis to move the lead to 5-1, before freshman infielder
Trentt Copeland would add an RBI single in the seventh inning to give the Purple Aces a 6-1 cushion. Evansville would then tack on two more runs in the ninth inning on an RBI single by Wallace and another run-scoring wild pitch by the Governors to grab an 8-1 lead.
“I was really proud of our hitters today because they kept on tacking on runs,” said Carroll. “Obviously, those two runs in the top of the ninth proved key. The hitters are coming along though, and hopefully, they will be able to carry that over to this weekend’s series with UNI.
“I can’t say enough about our first two pitchers today though. Tom Heithoff was lights out, and then #J.R. Carbonell# came in and threw three great innings on the mound. We needed that type of effort today on the mound after playing a mid-week game yesterday and having an important Valley series coming up this weekend.
Wallace went 2-for-3 with a home run, two intentional walks, two runs scored and two RBI to post his fifth multi-hit game in the last six contests for UE. Fick, meanwhile, went 2-for-5 with a double and a home run and two RBI. Sophomore outfielder
Nate Smith and senior shortstop
Andy Smith also had two-hit efforts for UE.
With the victory, Evansville improves to 8-12 overall, while Austin Peay slips to 9-14. Evansville will now return home to play its second Missouri Valley Conference series of the year, as the Purple Aces will entertain the University of Northern Iowa Panthers in a three-game series beginning on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. at UE’s Charles H. Braun Stadium. Junior RHP
Wade Kapteyn (2-2, 2.57 ERA) is expected to oppose UNI senior LHP Nick Kirk (2-1, 2.91 ERA) in Friday night’s opener, which can be heard live on 91.5 F.M.-WUEV.
