Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Dayton scored three runs in the top of the eighth to take the lead for good, as the Flyers edged the University of Evansville baseball team, 4-3, Saturday afternoon at Braun Stadium.

Leaving the game in the eighth with two outs, Kyle Lloyd (3-2) was credited with the tough-luck loss with three runs, six hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. Junior Josh Biggs came out of the bullpen to allow a run, two hits, a walk, and struck out one in 0.1 innings. Zach Taylor threw a scoreless final frame.

Being limited to five hits by Dayton starter Tim Bury (4-2), Kevin Kaczmarski and Chris Pearson led the Aces’ offense with a hit and RBI each. Bury earned the win, going 8.1 innings. Burny Mitchem picked up the save, getting the final two outs of the game.

In the first inning, Evansville quickly took a 2-0 lead, as Jake Mahon and Kyle Pollock both walked with one out, and Pearson’s RBI single through the right side brought home the lead runner. With two outs and runners on the corners, Pearson’s delayed steal caught the attention of the Flyers’ defense, allowing Pollock to score before being tagged out between first and second.

As the starting pitchers for both squads settled in, neither team scored until Dayton answered in the fifth with one run. The Flyers led off with back-to-back singles, a sacrifice bunt, and a RBI groundout to make the score 2-1.

In the eighth, A.J. Ryan’s two-out double down the right field line brought in the tying run and prompted a call to the bullpen, as Lloyd had surpassed the 100-pitch mark. However, before recording a strikeout to end the side, Biggs struggled to get the final out, giving up the go-ahead RBI double to his first batter, Zach Stewart. A walk followed and Robby Sunderman lined a RBI single through the left side for a two-run, 4-2, cushion.

Evansville tried to counter in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with two outs after infield singles by Michael Eckstein and Eric Stamets and Pollock’s walk. Kazmarski’s hard hit ball off the leg Bury plated one and kept the bags packed. However, Bury got out of the jam with a flyout.

In the ninth, Hockemeyer led off with a walk and moved up on Trentt Copeland’s sacrifice bunt, however, closer Mitchem recorded the final two outs in order.

The Aces (24-15) wrap up the three-game non-conference series with Dayton (18-22) Sunday at 1:00 p.m. CT.