Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

University of Evansville Athletics

The Official Website of Evansville Athletics
Kevin Kaczmarski drove in three runs for the Aces.

No. 1 Arkansas Tops Evansville in Series Opener

2/22/2013 9:15:00 PM

BOX SCORE

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –
Top-ranked Arkansas used a pair of three-run innings to pull away from the University of Evansville baseball team, as the Purple Aces fell to the Razorbacks, 10-4, in the series opener Friday afternoon at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
 
“Kyle Freeland really gave us a chance to win today by throwing a competitive five innings,” head coach Wes Carroll said. “We just shout ourselves in the foot one too many times against a very quality opponent in Arkansas.”
 
Evansville (1-3) was led by redshirt sophomore Kevin Kaczmarski, who finished 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in three of UE’s four runs.  Kaczmarski also added a stolen base and has now reached base in 23-straight games.  Redshirt sophomore Michael Eckstein added a pair of hits and scored twice out of the nine hole, and senior Chris Pearson finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.
 
The Aces took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second on an RBI double by Kaczmarski, but Arkansas (5-1) responded by scoring a pair of runs in its half of the frame.  Brian Anderson led off the inning with a single down the right field line and later scored on a one-out homer off the bat of Jake Wise.
 
The Razorbacks began to get to Evansville starter Kyle Freeland in the bottom fourth, as they scored a pair of runs on three hits and took advantage of a trio of wild pitches and an error to grab a 4-2 lead.  Eric Fisher single to center to start the inning and moved up 90 feet on one of Freeland’s three wild pitches.  Wise drove in Fisher with a single to left and later came around to score on Freeland’s second errant toss.
 
Arkansas began to pull away in the bottom of the sixth, as it hung three runs on Aces’ reliever Tyler Miller and led 7-2 after six full innings.  All three Razorback runs scored when Tyler Spoon cleared the bases with a two-out single to left center on an 0-2 pitch.
 
UE began to climb back into the game by scoring a pair of runs in its half of the seventh.  Freshman Shain Showers opened the inning with a single to center, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved over to third on a single by Eckstein.  One batter later, Kaczmarski scored Showers from third with a sacrifice fly to center.  Later in the inning, senior Jason Hockemeyer drove in Eckstein with a two-out single through the right side of the infield to cut Arkansas’ lead to 7-4.
 
The Razorbacks countered in their half of the seventh, scoring three runs on a Jacob Farris home run following an Evansville error that would have ended the frame to make the final score 10-4.
 
“Hopefully our guys learned from the result today and are ready to go tomorrow,” Carroll said.
 
Freeland (1-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing four runs, all earned, on seven hits over 5.0 innings and recorded five strikeouts around a walk.  Brandon Moore (1-0) was credited with the win, tossing 3.2 innings out of the Arkansas bullpen. 
 
The Aces and Razorbacks will meet tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. for the second game of the three-game set.  UE will send redshirt junior Sam Johns (0-0, 9.00 ERA) to the mound, while Arkansas will counter with righty Barrett Astin (1-0, 1.80 ERA).
Print Friendly Version
University of Evansville Athletics logo