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EVANSVILLE, Ind.--The University of Evansville baseball team posted its second straight one-run victory over the visiting Dallas Baptist Patriots on Friday night at the Charles H. Braun Stadium with a 3-2 win.
Evansville took an early lead on an unearned run in the first inning. Freshman pitcher Sam Johns (2-2) would keep the score 1-0 until the fifth inning when the Patriots were able to retaliate with a single run to tie the game at 1-1. UE would quickly respond with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Johns and the Purple Aces a lead they would never lose.
Senior outfielder Alex Acheson led off the fifth inning with a double to right-center field and quickly scored on a double by freshman shortstop Eric Stamets. Stamets would eventually score two batters later on a sacrifice fly by junior infielder Cody Fick to push the lead to 3-1.
Dallas Baptist would cut the lead to 3-2 in the sixth inning on an RBI single by catcher Dustin McAlpine, but that would be as close as the Patriots would get as relievers Zach Taylor and Tom Heithoff combined to toss three scoreless innings of relief to slam the door. Johns earned the victory by scattering two runs on seven hits in six innings of work. Heithoff meanwhile recorded his sixth save of the year with a scoreless ninth inning.
“This is another good win for our ballclub,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “It all started on the mound for us tonight with Sam Johns. He did a great job of pitching tonight and not throwing. He held a very good hitting team in check and gave us a chance to win tonight.”
Staments and Fick led the Aces, each contributing an RBI. Fick also had two base hits. Outfielder Josh Wilson collected two hits to lead Dallas Baptist offensively.
With the victory Evansville earns a series win over the Patriots and evens its overall record at 15-15. Dallas Baptist meanwhile falls to 17-14 with the loss. The two teams will conclude the series Saturday afternoon at 1 pm in a game that can be heard live on 91.5 FM-WUEV.
