Box Score

CARBONDALE, Ill. – A nine-run third inning for Southern Illinois spelled doom for the University of Evansville baseball team that suffered an 11-6 defeat Saturday afternoon at Abe Martin Field. The win for SIU secures the series victory, as the Salukis improve to 18-13 overall and 5-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Evansville falls to 19-12 on the year and 3-5 in the MVC.

UE starter Sam Johns (1-2) took the loss, tossing two and two thirds innings, allowing nine hits, eight runs, two walks, while striking out two. Jake Naumann, James Kohler, and Tyler Miller all came out of the bullpen for the Aces.

Cameron Maldonado (5-0) earned the win, going six innings, allowing four runs, seven hits, two walks, and struck out five.

Chris Pearson led the Aces offensively, going 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Jason Hockemeyer went 2-for-4 with three RBI, and Kyle Pollock recorded two hits, a run, and a run batted in.

Evansville struck first with a run in the second inning following Pearson’s one-out double and Hockemeyer’s RBI groundout.
However, the Salukis came back strong in the third, stringing together five consecutive hits and eight hits total in the frame for nine runs.

SIU added another run in the fourth for a 10-1 advantage before Evansville responded with three runs in the sixth inning. Jake Mahon and Kevin Kaczmarski sandwiched walks around Pollock’s fifth double of the season, loading the bases. Trentt Copeland brought the first run in on a sac fly to left field, while Pearson and Hockemeyer followed with back-to-back RBI singles, cutting the deficit to six, 10-4.

The Salukis scored one more run in the sixth before UE battled to score one run in the eighth and one in the ninth for the final 11-6 score.

Donny Duschinsky, Chris Seritella, and Brian Bajer each recorded three hits in the game, as the Salukis totaled 16 in the game.

UE looks to bounce back Sunday with freshman Kyle Freeland on the mound. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. CT.