EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In Wednesday’ non-conference contest with Oakland City University, the University of Evansville baseball team topped the visiting Mighty Oaks, 8-1. With the victory, the Aces improved to 25-15 overall, while OCU fell to 17-13.

Four Evansville players recorded multi-hit games, as Eric Stamets, Cody Fick, Jared Baehl, and Ryan Oesterle all tallied two hits apiece. Fick contributed three RBI and a run scored, while Stamets and Baehl both crossed the plate twice and knocked in one run.

On staff day, sophomore Josh Biggs (3-0) earned the win, throwing the first three innings, allowing no runs, three hits, and struck out three. The Aces kept OCU off the board for eight innings as Tyler Miller tossed a perfect fourth with two strikeouts, Ryan Billo hurled a scoreless fifth and sixth innings, and Peter Spear a perfect seventh and eighth. The Oaks tagged its lone run in the top of the ninth off James Kohler on back-to-back hits, but the freshman got two consecutive groundballs for a double play and game-ending out.

The Aces struck early, tallying a run in the bottom of the first when Stamets led off with a double and Fick knocked him home on his one-out double to left-centerfield for a 1-0 lead.

In the fourth, Fick’s leadoff single through the left side sparked another run as Baehl knocked him home on a sacrifice fly after advancing on a wild pitch and stolen base.

The Aces batted around the order in the seventh, plating five for a 7-0 lead. Baehl led off the inning with a double and the bases loaded after Nate Smith was hit by a pitch and Oesterle laid down a bunt single. Sophomore Chris Pearson knocked home Baehl on a single to third for the first run. With the force at home, the Oaks tried to throw home-to-first on Jake Mahon’s grounder to third, but a wild throw to first allowed Oesterle to cross the plate on the play. With one out, the inning continued as Stamets singled, scoring Pearson, Wallace walked, and Fick’s sacrifice fly to deep centerfield plated both Mahon and a speedy Stamets from second base.

 Evansville scored one more in the eighth when Baehl led off with his second double of the day and scored on Smith’s RBI single down the left field line.

Chris Stallion (3-1) took the loss for Oakland City, throwing six innings, allowing three runs, six hits, and struck out five.  

The Aces return to Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend, traveling to Indiana State. Game one is set for 6:00 p.m. CT Friday.