Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Recording a season-high 16 hits, the University of Evansville baseball team scored in each of the first three innings and held a commanding lead throughout the Wednesday night contest at Braun Stadium in a 10-2 victory over SIU Edwardsville. With the win, the Aces sweep the home-and-home series and improve their overall record to 23-14, while the Cougars of the Ohio Valley Conference fall to 17-20.

Sophomore Ryan Billo (6-1) earned the win, allowing just one run, five hits, a walk, while striking out five in seven innings of work. Billo held SIUE hitless until the fifth frame. Out of the pen, classmates James Kohler and Tyler Miller tossed an inning apiece. Kohler held the Cougars off the board, giving up one hit, while Miller allowed a run and two hits, striking out two.

Offensively, leadoff hitter Eric Stamets led the Aces with a 4-for-4 performance, three RBI, and three runs scored, as five UE players recorded multiple hits in the game. Freshman Kevin Kaczmarski went 3-for-5 with three runs batted in, Kyle Pollock went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Trentt Copeland and Andy Lasher each logged two hits and two runs apiece.

Evansville took the initial lead when Stamets led off with a single and scored on Kaczmarski’s two-out hit through the right side. Batting around the order in the second inning, the Aces loaded the bases following a leadoff single by Copeland and two hit batters. UE then strung together three RBI singles and a sac fly for a 5-0 advantage.

In the third, the Aces expanded the lead to seven, plating three as Copeland doubled, Lasher singled, and senior Jordan Chavis’ walk set up sac flies for Stamets and Jake Mahon. Pollock capped the rally with a two-out RBI single.

The Cougars broke their silence in the sixth, combining a triple and double to lead off the inning for one run.

However, Evansville continued to stretch the margin, adding two in the seventh. SIUE scored one last run in the top of the ninth for the final 10-2 score.

Starter Brooks McDowell (1-3) took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits in two innings, as the Cougars used five arms in the game.

The Aces are back in action this weekend, hosting the University of Dayton for a non-conference three-game series. Game one begins Friday at 6:00 p.m. CT.