BOX SCORE

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The University of Evansville baseball team opened its 2013 season with a  2-1 win over Arkansas-Little Rock Friday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock, Ark. 
 
Sophomore Kyle Pollock drove in the only two runs for Evansville (1-0) with an RBI double in the top of the first and it was all the run support the Purple Aces’ pitching staff would need, as sophomore southpaw Kyle Freeland spun a gem to pick up the win on the mound.  Freeland tossed 7.0 innings, allowing just one run on five hits and struck out eight Arkansas-Little Rock (0-1) hitters without walking a batter.
 
“Our guys really came out ready to play and our offensive got clicking early and really gave Kyle (Freeland) a chance to settle down and get in the groove of the game,” Carroll said.  “He was absolutely outstanding today having no walks and eight strikeouts, and was really in complete control of the game from pitch one to his last pitch.”
 
Pollock, redshirt sophomore Kevin Kaczmarski and junior Jake Mahon each recorded a pair of hits to lead UE offensively, and redshirt junior Johnny Day added a double to account for all seven of Evansville hits.
 
The Aces opened the season with hits in their first three at-bats, as Kaczmarski opened the game with a double to the gap in right center, Mahon followed with a single to right, before Pollock drove them both in with a single to right.
 
Freeland faced just one over the minimum through the first five innings, before the Trojans manufactured a run in their half of the sixth.  Austin Pfeiffer led off the frame with a single up the middle and Sam Vogel followed with a bunt single.  Pfeiffer swiped third base with one out in the inning and scored UALR’s lone run on a ground out by Myles Parma.  Freeland kept the tying run stranded at third by ending the inning with a strikeout.
 
Evansville and Arkansas-Little Rock each put runners in scoring position in the eighth, before double plays proved to be rally killers. 
 
In the top of the inning, Kaczmarski walked, advanced to second on a single by Mahon and later stole third, before the inning ended when Pollock grounded into a 4-6-3 twin killing.  For the Trojans, Pfeiffer singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, but the ending came to a close when Ben Crumpton lined into a double play.
 
Senior Josh Biggs came on in the bottom of the ninth to save the game for UE, but got into a jam when Parma led off the inning with a single and Chris Burk drew a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. 
 
Senior Jake Naumann then came on in relief of Biggs and earned the save by stranding the bases loaded by notching a one-out strikeout and getting Kaleb Jobe to ground out to end the game.
 
“Jake (Naumann) really stepped up big for us in a tough situation,” Carroll said.  “He made the big pitches when he needed to and gave us the senior leadership we needed coming out of the pen. 
 
“It was a great overall win and our first opening day win as a coaching staff, and we are ready to get back at it again tomorrow.”
 
The Aces will return to the diamond for game two of the series tomorrow at 1 p.m.  Evansville will starter redshirt junior Sam Johns, while the Trojans will counter with senior Blake Huffman.