Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Tied, 2-2, after the sixth inning, the University of Evansville baseball team scored one run in each the seventh and eighth frames to overcome IPFW, 4-2, in the first game of the Dunn Hospitality Diamond Classic. The game, that was supposed to start at 11:00 a.m., had its first pitch at 5:02 p.m. after tornados touched down in the surrounding Evansville area.

 “We were fortunate to get a game in today after the awful weather,” said head coach Wes Carroll. “It was good to get the win after a long day at the ballpark.”

Evansville took a 1-0 lead in the first after junior Eric Stamets led off with a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a double steal. The Aces made it 2-0 in the fourth with David Patton’s unearned run.

The Mastodons countered in the top of the sixth after starter Cole Isom, who had pitched a gem with eight strikeouts up until the point, walked two and hit a batter to load the bases. Zach Taylor came out of the pen to get the Aces out of the jam, but an RBI single and double play ball led to two runs.

In the seventh, however, Evansville regained the lead, sparked by junior Andy Lasher’s single through the left side. He scored on freshman Kyle Pollock’s double to deep left-centerfield. UE added an insurance run in the eighth, loading the bases after Patton and Nate Snellgrove both walked, and Stamets bunted for a single. Lasher’s sacrifice fly to center scored Patton and gave UE the final 4-2 advantage.

Taylor (2-1) earned the win, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, two walks, and struck out two. Biggs (2) picked up the save, getting UE out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth and tossed a scoreless ninth. He allowed just one hit, a walk, and struck out four in 2.0 innings of work.

The Classic will continue tomorrow with a triple header, due to the game between Eastern Illinois and IPFW being postponed. EIU and the Mastodons will face off at 11:00 a.m. EIU and Evansville will play at 2:00 p.m., and IPFW and the Aces will square off at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Illinois and Evansville will wrap up the weekend Sunday with a single game at 1:00 p.m.