Box Score

EVANSVILLE , Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth and had the tying and game-winning base runners in scoring position, but the Bradley University Braves held off the charging Aces for a 6-5 edge and 2-1 series victory, Sunday afternoon at Braun Stadium. Both teams ended the weekend with a 7-8 Missouri Valley Conference record, as the Aces fell to 26-18 overall and the Braves improved to 24-17.

Freshman Kyle Freeland (3-4) took the loss, allowing five runs, eight hits, two walks, while striking out three in five innings of work. Out of the pen, sophomore James Kohler tossed two frames, giving up a run, four hits, and struck out one. Junior Jake Naumann held the Braves off the board for the final two innings with one hit, a walk, and one strikeout.

Junior Chris Pearson led UE with a 2-for-3 day and a run scored. Eric Stamets, Kevin Kaczmarski, and Jason Hockemeyer each had one hit, as Bradley logged a 13-5 hit advantage in the contest.

Bradley held the lead throughout the afternoon, scoring three runs in the second inning on three hits and two fielder’s choice.
Evansville answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth as Jake Mahon reached on his 15th hit by pitch of the season and scored on Kaczmarski’s RBI double to left-centerfield.

However, Bradley stretched its lead to four runs in the fifth, plating two on three hits in Freeland’s last inning of work.

In the sixth, Stamets led off with a double down the left field line and crossed the plate on Kyle Pollock’s sacrifice fly to center, cutting the margin to three.

However, the Braves immediately countered with one last run in the seventh, for a 6-2 advantage.

In the ninth, the Aces quickly put runners on base, as reliever Danny Gifford hit Kaczmarski, walked Pearson, and gave up a single to Hockemeyer to load the bases. Trentt Copeland’s RBI groundout plated a run, and Andy Lasher’s walk filled the bases again for pinch hitter John Day. After a call to the bullpen, Steve Adkins hit Day, bringing in a run while also putting the winning run on the base paths. Stamets’ deep foul ball down the left field line allowed Hockemeyer to score on a tag and moved both runners into scoring position. Unfortunately, Adkins quashed the rally, getting a fly ball for the final out of the game.

Bradley starter Tory Doerr (4-2) earned the win, limiting the Aces to two runs, four hits, a walk, and struck out two in seven innings. Adkins (2) took the save.

The Aces are back in action Wednesday when they host Belmont at 6:00 p.m. CT.