CARBONDALE, Ill.—University of Evansville junior third baseman Cody Fick’s grand slam in the eighth inning keyed a nine-run explosion for the Purple Aces, and UE tied a school single-game record with eight doubles, as the Purple Aces cruised to a 14-2 run-rule victory in eight innings over the host Southern Illinois University Salukis at Abe Martin Field in Carbondale, Illinois.

 

Evansville jumped to an early 5-2 lead through four innings thanks to three run-scoring doubles by sophomore infielder Trentt Copeland, junior outfielder Nate Smith, and senior first baseman Tom Heithoff in the first three frames. 

 

Fick would then put the game out of reach in the eighth inning, as he blasted his Missouri Valley Conference-leading 17th home run of the year to left field with the bases loaded to ignite a nine-run frame. UE would knock four of its school-record eight doubles in the nine-run inning, and junior designated hitter Ryan Oesterle added his fourth home run of the year with a two-run shot, as the Purple Aces improved to 28-22 overall and 8-8 in the MVC with the victory.

 

“I thought our hitters really came to the plate today with a great approach, and we were able to elevate some balls and find some gaps to knock those eight doubles,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “This is a great way to start the series, but there are still two more games to go on the weekend. Hopefully, we can come to the park tomorrow with the same type of approach and remain aggressive in the batter’s box.”

 

The 14 runs of support were more than enough for senior right-hander Keegan Dennis (3-3) to pick up the victory, as he limited SIU to two runs on eight hits over 7.0 innings of work while striking out six. He also got the Salukis to hit into two double plays, as Evansville moved its season double-play total to 59. The Purple Aces entered Friday’s action ranked sixth nationally in double plays turned.

 

“While it was nice to get the offense rolling today, it really all started on the mound for us today with Keegan Dennis,” said Carroll. “Keegan did a great job of battling and keeping SIU at bay. They can be a very dangerous offense to pitch against, but Keegan went out and pounded the zone and really set the tone for us in the center of the diamond.”

 

Smith led Evansville’s double barrage by going 3-for-5 with three doubles, while senior outfielder Alex Acheson also went 3-for-5 with a double. Fick added two hits, while driving in a game-high four runs, as he was one of five Purple Aces to collect two hits on the afternoon. Second baseman Blake Pinnon was the lone Saluki to record a multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 effort.

 

With the victory, Evansville moves to within a half-game of third place in the MVC standings with a 28-22 overall record and 8-8 conference mark. Southern Illinois, meanwhile, falls to 23-26 overall and 6-9 in the Valley with the loss. The two teams will continue the series on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. in a game that can be heard live on 91.5 F.M.-WUEV.