Freshman southpaw Cole Isom (1-1) earned the win on the mound in game two after throwing six scoreless innings and allowing four scattered hits, while striking out two. Sophomore Jake Naumann threw two innings out of the bullpen, giving up a run on two hits. Classmate Adam Culiver earned the save with a one-hit scoreless ninth.

 

The Aces (4-5) struck first in the second game as leadoff hitter sophomore Eric Stamets reached on a walk, stole second, and scored on senior Cody Fick’s fielder’s choice in the opening inning.

 

In the third, Fick and junior Trentt Copeland lined back-to-back doubles scoring two runs to take a 3-0 lead.

 

Stamets crossed the plate again in the fifth after leading the frame off with a single, stealing second, advancing to third on the catcher’s overthrow, and scoring on Fick’s ground ball, his third RBI of the contest.

 

The Panthers’ lone run came in the eighth when Zach Borenstein tripled to start off the inning. Ben Thoma hit him home on a single through the right side, but Naumann was able to get the ground ball for an inning-ending double play.

 

The Aces weren’t so lucky in game one as EIU jumped to a 5-0 advantage after the first three innings. Starter sophomore Kyle Lloyd allowed two runs in the first, one in the second, and two in the third.

 

Evansville answered in the bottom of the fifth with two runs of its own as the Aces strung together three consecutive singles and two walks against Mike Hoekstra. Senior Jared Baehl started the rally with a hit to third base and freshman Jake Mahon’s single advanced the right fielder to second. Copeland knocked Baehl home on his hit through the left side to put the Aces on the board. With two outs, bases loaded, and a 3-2 count, Stamets took ball four, walking in Mahon to make the score 5-2.

 

However, the clubs traded runs the rest of the way to maintain the Panthers’ three-run win. EIU scored two in the seventh on three hits, while Evansville scored one in the bottom of the eighth as Fick hit in senior Shawn Kuester who ripped a double to reach base, and one in the ninth on freshman Tim Bodine’s RBI bunt that plated Copeland.

 

Lloyd took the loss (1-2), throwing 6.1 innings, allowing seven runs, five earned, on ten hits, while striking out four. Sophomore Josh Biggs threw a perfect final 2.2 innings with one strikeout. Hoekstra (1-2) earned the win for EIU and Brent McNeil the save.

 

Copeland recorded three hits on the day, including two doubles, batting in two and scoring one run. Mahon, Stamets, and Fick all tallied two hits with Fick leading the team with four RBIs.

 

The Aces head south this week, taking on Jacksonville on Tuesday and Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. CST. Then UE will skip over to Tampa to face South Florida on Friday and Saturday for a three-game series.