BOX SCORE

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Kyle Pollock homered twice and drove in six runs and Josh Biggs allowed just one hit over six innings to lead the University of Evansville to an impressive 16-0 win over SIU Edwardsville in the Purple Aces’ regular-season finale Wednesday night at the Simmons Complex in Edwardsville, Ill.
 
Pollock finished his impressive night by going 3-for-4 at the plate and scored three runs to lead Evansville (22-32) offensively.  Freshmen Jonathan Ramon and Shain Showers also homered for the Aces, as Ramon went 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored and Showers turned in a 3-for-5 effort with three RBI and three runs scored. 
 
The two home runs and six RBI by Pollock was the most by an Evansville hitter since the 2011 season, when current UE assistant coach Cody Fick accomplished both feats.  Fick homered twice at Austin Peay on April 5 and drove in six runs at UT Martin on March 23.
 
Biggs turned in another impressive performance on the mound for Evansville, as he allowed just two base runners on a hit and a walk in his 6.0 innings of work.  Biggs also struck out seven, as SIU Edwardsville (16-32) managed just one base runner after the second inning, which came via a two-out hit in the ninth.  Junior Tyler Miller and freshman Connor Strain combined to toss the final three innings, as the duo allowed just the one hit and struck out one.
 
After stranding the bases loaded in the top of the first, the Aces got on the scoreboard in their half of the second, when redshirt junior Nick Hathcoat drove in Pollock with a sacrifice fly to center to put UE in front 1-0.
 
Evansville added three more runs on a pair of home runs in the top of the third, as Ramon led off the frame with a solo blast to left and Pollock delivered a two-run shot to left later in the inning to score Showers and extend the Aces’ advantage to 4-0.
 
UE added another run in the fifth to push the margin to 5-0, when Showers led off the inning with a double to left, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a Pollock sacrifice to center field.
 
The Aces broke the game open in the top of the sixth by plating five runs on two hits and a trio of walks.  Redshirt sophomore Kevin Kaczmarski and senior Chris Pearson started the inning with back-to-back walks, before both scored on a two-run single off the bat of redshirt junior Johnny Day.  Two batters later, Pollock belted his second long ball of the game, a three-run round-tripper that put UE in front 10-0.
 
Evansville continued to pile on the runs in the latter innings, as the Aces added three in the seventh, one more in the eighth and two in the ninth.  Showers capped UE’s ninth inning with a two-run homer to left that scored Day.
 
The Aces’ pitching was just as dominant as their hitting, as after the Cougars’ Skyler Geissinger led off the bottom of the second with a single, UE pitchers proceeded to retire the next 22 SIUE hitters they faced, before Travis Becherer came through with a two-out single in the ninth.
 
With the win, Evansville closes its regular-season with a 22-32 mark and will open the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament next Tuesday at Duffy Bass Field in Normal, Ill.  The Aces will be the No. 5 seed for the MVC Tournament and will wait to see who the other three teams will be in their half of the bracket, after Valley play finishes up this weekend.