BOX SCORE

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team used a balance offensive attack and held off a late rally by visiting SIU Edwardsville to post its fourth-straight win with an 11-7 victory Wednesday night in non-conference action at Braun Stadium.
 
Five hitters recorded multiple hits for Evansville (20-29), while four tallied at least two RBI.  Senior Chris Pearson drove in three runs and scored three more, as he went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and a sacrifice fly.  Redshirt sophomore Kevin Kaczmarski finished the night 3-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored, while freshman Jonathan Ramon racked up three RBI and senior Andy Lasher drove in two more with a two-run single in the fifth.
 
Junior Cole Isom improved to 4-5 on the mound by allowing four runs on four hits in 6.0 innings of work.  Out of the UE bullpen, freshman Brent Jurckea and senior Jake Naumann combined for five strikeouts and did not walk a batter over the final 2.2 frames.
 
Evansville got off to a quick start at the plate, as the Aces recorded three-straight hits to start the bottom of the first.  Kaczmarski started the rally with a triple to the gap in right center and Pearson followed with an RBI double to left center.  Senior Jason Hockemeyer then reached on a single through the right side, before Ramon drove in Pearson with a deep fly ball to left to put UE in front 2-0.
 
SIU Edwardsville (14-30) took its first lead of the game at 3-2 in the top of the third, when Zach Little reached on a one-out single through the left side and Nick Lombardo followed with a single to shallow center, before Jacob Stewart cleared the bases with a three-run homer to left.
 
The Aces took advantage of a leadoff walk and a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning to tie the score at 3-3.  Pearson walked to start the frame and was able to move into scoring position on a wild pitch out of the hand of SIUE starter Sam Hopkins.  Two batters later, Ramon drove in his second run of the game with a two-out single through the hole on the left side of the infield.
 
Drew Johns regained the lead for SIU Edwardsville in the top of the fourth with a two-out, RBI single of his own to make the score 4-3, but the Aces would erupt for four runs in their half of the fourth to take the lead for good.  Kaczmarski drove in the first run of the frame by scoring freshman Shain Showers with a single to right, before Pearson followed with a single to center to plate Lasher.  Hockemeyer capped the inning with a two-run double down the right field line to give UE a 7-4 advantage.
 
UE broke the game open with a three-run bottom of the fifth, as Lasher drove home a pair of runs with a one-out single to right and later scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Pearson to extend Evansville’s margin to 10-4.
 
The Cougars would respond by scoring three runs in the top of the seventh off of Aces’ relievers Ryan Billo and Forrest Herrmann, but Jurceka got out of the jam with a strikeout and a ground out to strand the bases loaded and maintain a 10-7 lead for UE.
 
Evansville added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on Ramon’s second sacrifice fly of the night that allowed Hockemeyer, who tripled to left center earlier in the inning, to tag and score and make the final tally 11-7.
 
The Aces will look to keep their winning streak alive when they return to Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend at Illinois State.  UE will open the series with the Redbirds Friday night at 6 p.m. on Duffy Bass Field in Normal, Ill.