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MARTIN, Tenn. – Trailing 3-2, the University of Evansville baseball team came from behind to score six runs in the top of the sixth inning en route to a 9-5 victory over the University of Tennessee Martin Skyhawks Wednesday night. The win improves the Aces record to 3-4 on the season.

“It was great to see our bats finally explode for a big inning,” said head coach Wes Carroll. “Our bullpen really stepped up for us with Jake Naumann closing the door in the seventh and eighth and Josh Biggs closing the game in the ninth. It’s a good win on the road and hopefully we’ll have some carryover into the weekend.”

Sophomore Ryan Billo started and tossed 4.1 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, six hits, while striking out three. Earning the win, senior Zach Taylor (1-1) came out of the bullpen to throw 1.2 frames, giving up two runs, two hits, a walk, and struck out two, while Naumann hurled two scoreless inning, allowing just two hits and struck out 4-of-9 batters faced. Biggs made his third appearance as a closer this season, tossing a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout.

Evansville was led offensively by junior Jason Hockemeyer who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Also contributing in the win was sophomore David Patton, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, while junior Andy Lasher went 1-for-5, knocked two runs in, and scored one. Seven players recorded hits and tallied runs in the victory.

Evansville took the initial lead in the first inning when Eric Stamets led off with a double to left field and scored on Chris Pearson’s groundout, but the Skyhawks matched UE in the bottom half with an unearned run.

UE took the lead again in the fifth when Tim Bodine reached on an error, stole two bases, and scored on another error. However, UT Martin answered back again in the bottom of the inning, stringing together a double and two singles for two runs, taking a 3-2 advantage.

The tables turned in the sixth, as the Aces batted around the order sparked by Hockemeyer’s leadoff double to left field. Evansville scored their first run of the frame after Jake Mahon was hit by a pitch, Kevin Kaczmarski singled to load the bases, and Patton walked, bringing home Hockemeyer. With one out, Stamets’ sac fly to left plated another run, and Lasher kept the rally going with his two-out double down the left field line, scoring two. The inning continued as Pearson walked to put runners on first and second, and freshman Kyle Pollock knocked home Lasher on a single to center. Up again, Hockemeyer recorded his second hit of the frame with a single to left field plating the sixth run of the inning, giving UE an 8-3 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Matt Haynes’ two-run home run, made it 8-5, but Evansville held off the Skyhawks the rest of the way and tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth to secure the win.

Reliever Alex Boshers took the loss as UT Martin used seven pitchers in the ballgame.

The Aces are back in action this weekend, hosting the Dunn Hospitality Diamond Classic at Charles Braun Stadium, Friday through Sunday. IPFW and Eastern Illinois will be the other teams in attendance. UE will open the tournament vs. IPFW Friday at 11:00 a.m. CT.