BOX SCORE

WICHITA, Kan. – The University of Evansville scored three runs in the top of the eighth to rally from a 5-1 deficit, but Wichita State was able to hold off the Purple Aces for a 5-4 victory Friday night at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kan.
 
Evansville (14-24, 5-5 MVC) registered eight hits in the loss, with four coming from redshirt sophomore Kevin Kaczmarski and freshman Shain Showers.  Showers finished 2-for-4 with the Aces’ lone RBI to raise his average to .400 in Missouri Valley Conference games, while Kaczmarski posted a 2-for-4 effort with a pair of singles.
 
Wichita State (22-17, 8-2 MVC) starter Cale Elam improved to 5-1 on the year by allowing just two earned runs and striking out six, while scattering eight hits over 7.2 innings.  UE’s Kyle Freeland fell to 3-6 on the mound this season, as he allowed five runs, all earned, on 12 hits in his 7.0 innings of work.  Brandon Peterson picked up his fourth save of the spring by retiring all four Evansville hitters he faced.
 
The Aces committed just one fielding error in the contest, but a pair of mistakes on the base paths proved costly. 
 
The Shockers were able to jump out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third, as WSU tallied five-straight, two-out hits, including Micah Green’s infield singled that plated the final two runs of the frame.
 
UE got on the board in the top of the fifth, when Showers plated fellow freshman Jonathan Ramon with a soft single to center, but sophomore Kyle Pollock overran the bag at second and was tagged out while trying to dive back in for the second out of the inning.  Elam was able to limit the damage to just the one run by getting freshman Eric McKibban to fly out to left to end the inning.
 
Wichita State got the run back in the bottom half of the fourth, but Evansville would climb back into the game by taking advantage of a trio of Shocker miscues in the top of the eighth.
 
Junior David Patton started the rally with a leadoff single to right center and was able to advance into scoring position on senior Chris Pearson’s one-out single through the left side.  The inning continued and Patton was able to scamper home, when Elam overthrew second base trying to retire Pearson on a ground ball off the bat of senior Jason Hockemeyer.  Pearson was able to advance to third on the error and scored on a wild pitch, cutting Wichita State’s lead to just two runs.  After Ramon singled to put runners on the corners, redshirt sophomore Michael Eckstein was called on to pinch run, but was promptly picked off, as Elam faked to third, before throwing behind Eckstein to complete the out.
 
The inning continued when senior Andy Lasher drew a two-out walk, bringing Peterson out of the bullpen to replace Elam.  The Aces were able to cut the lead to 5-4 when Peterson was called for a balk that allowed Hockemeyer to score, but UE’s rally would fall short, as Peterson rebounded to retire the final four Evansville hitters he faced.
 
Evansville will look to rebound and end its seven-game skid tomorrow at 2 p.m., when it continues the series with the Shockers.  The Aces will send senior Kyle Lloyd to the mound, while WSU is scheduled to counter with A.J. Ladwig.