BOX SCORE

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Evansville baseball team hung with top-ranked Arkansas for much of the ballgame, but Tyler Spoon belted an eight-inning grand slam for the Razorbacks to give them a 5-2 win over the Purple Aces Saturday afternoon at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
 
“Our guys went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the country today and they fought until they very last out,” head coach Wes Carroll said.  “We put ourselves in a position to win the ballgame in the late innings and that is all I can ask for as a coach.”
 
Evansville (1-4) got a solid start from redshirt junior Sam Johns, who allowed just one run on two hits over 4.2 innings on the mound and was able to pitch around six walks. 
 
Offensively, UE managed just five hits with three of them coming over the final three innings.  Junior Jake Mahon drove in one of Aces’ two runs with a sacrifice fly in the eighth and senior Andy Lasher recorded the other by drawing a bases-loaded walk in the ninth.
 
Arkansas (6-1) drew three-straight walks in its first at-bat and was able to capitalize, when Eric Fisher single through the right side to bring in the game’s first run.  Johns was able to limit the damage by getting the next two batters to ground out and end the frame, but the Razorbacks held a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
 
Arkansas starter Barrett Astin shut down the Aces in his six innings of work, as UE managed just two hits and four baserunners when Astin was on the mound, but the Aces were able to get to the Razorback bullpen and manufactured a run in the top of the eight to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Lasher started the frame with a lead-off, pinch-hit single and moved into scoring position after freshman Shain Showers laid down a sacrifice bunt.  Redshirt sophomore Kevin Kaczmarski single to put runners on the corners with just one out and Mahon tied the game by scoring Lasher with a fly out to left center.
 
Arkansas struck back with a four-run eighth, with all four runs scoring on Spoon’s grand slam.  With senior Cole Isom on the hill for Evansville, Willie Schwanke led off the frame with a single and advanced to second on Brett McAfee’s sacrifice bunt.  Matt Vinson followed with a double that chased Isom and put runners on second and third with just one out.  Senior Jake Naumann was called on to preserve the tie, but hit Jake Morris with a pitch to load the bases, before Spoon’s blast to left.
 
In the ninth, the Aces were able to push a run across when Lasher drew a bases-load walk and had the tying run aboard with just one out, but Trent Daniel was able to get out of the jam and earn the save for the Razorbacks by striking out Showers and getting Kaczmarski to ground out to end the game.
 
“We have to try and bounce back tomorrow and make something out of the weekend,” Carroll said.
 
Evansville and Arkansas will wrap up the three-game set Sunday with a 1:05 p.m. start.  Senior righty Kyle Lloyd (0-0, 0.00 ERA) is slated to start for the Aces, while the Razorbacks will counter with freshman righty Tyler Killian (0-0, 0.00 ERA).