Box Score
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team captured its third straight conference victory Friday night, topping the visiting Missouri State Bears, 3-1. With the win, the Aces improve to 23-15 overall and 4-6 in the MVC, while MSU fell to 24-16 on the season and 6-4 in the Valley.
Sophomore
Kyle Lloyd (4-4) pitched a gem, hurling eight solid innings, allowing just one unearned run, three hits, three walks, while striking out three. After the Bears’ single run in the first inning and a walk in the second, Lloyd sat down 11 consecutive batters, as he went on to pitch four perfect innings in the contest. Sophomore
Jake Naumann closed the game with a three-up, three-down ninth to earn his third save of the season.
The Bears scored their only run of the contest when Aaron Conway led off with a single in the hole on the left side and advanced to second when shortstop
Eric Stamets made a nice backhand on the ball but overthrew first allowing Conway to move up a base. Spiker Helms’ single to right field brought him in to score for a 1-0 lead.
The duo of senior
Cody Fick and junior
Trentt Copeland in the three and four slots, respectively, sparked the Aces’ fourth and sixth inning rallies. Starting in the fourth, Fick and Copeland belted back-to-back singles, setting up junior
Jared Baehl’s double to deep centerfield. Fick scored on the blast and Copeland tried to cross the plate as well, but was tagged out at home on a nice relay by the Bears.
Evansville struck again in the sixth and took the lead for good when MSU’s starter Nick Petree faced a jam. With one out, Fick singled on a comebacker to Petree and Copeland followed with a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third. MSU intentionally walked Baehl to set up the force, but Petree unintentionally walked the Aces’ next batter, senior
Ryan Oesterle, allowing Fick, the go-ahead run, to skip home. Senior
Nate Smith’s groundout to shortstop, scored Copeland and gave Evansville the 3-1 advantage.
Petree (6-1) suffered the loss, his first of the season, throwing seven innings, allowing three runs, six hits, four walks, while striking out nine.
Copeland led the Aces at the plate with his 3-for-4 effort. Fick was UE’s only other multi-hitter, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
The Aces are back in action tomorrow, taking on the Bears at 2:00 p.m. CT at Braun Stadium. The 2006 NCAA Tournament team will be honored in a pregame ceremony, as it is alumni weekend.
