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AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The University of Evansville baseball team pounded out 14 hits Friday night against North Dakota State at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Auburndale, Fla., but the Bison defeated the Purple Aces, 9-8, in a slugfest that featured 24 combined hits.
 
"It's a disappointing one-run loss for our club today," head coach Wes Carroll said.  "We didn't get a quality start out of our starting pitcher, and walks, along with a crucial error, really hurt our chances to stay in the win column."
 
Five Evansville (7-6) hitters tallied multiple hits on the evening and three drove in multiple runs, including sophomore Eric McKibban, who finished 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a run scored.  Sophomore Josh Jyawook tallied three hits in six at bats with an RBI and a run scored, while junior Kevin Kaczmarksi and sophomore Shain Showers each tallied two hits and two RBI apiece.
 
The Aces sent four pitchers to the mound, including freshman Jimmy Ward (0-2), who suffered the loss after allowing five runs, two earned, on three hits and three walks in 2.2 innings.  Junior Matt Rodgers allowed four runs on six hits with five strikeouts in 3.2 frames, while freshman Brian Jestice and senior Tyler Miller combined for 2.2 scoreless innings to close the pitching line for UE.
 
Evansville scored the first run of the ballgame in the bottom of the first by taking advantage of a North Dakota State (5-6) error, as Kaczmarski reached on a fielding error by the Bison shortstop and later scored on a two-out single by McKibban to give the Aces a 1-0 lead.
 
NDSU took its first lead of the night in the top of the third by scoring five runs during a two-out rally to go up, 5-1.  After Ward retired the first two batters in the inning, Aiden Hook drew a two-out walk and Tim Cowell followed with a single to center.  The next five North Dakota State players would reach on two singles, a hit by pitch, a walk and an error that led to three unearned runs.
 
The Bison tacked on another run in the fourth to push their lead to 6-1 on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Colwell, before UE trimmed the lead to 6-4 by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Junior Jarod Perry was hit by a pitch to start the inning and later scored on Kaczmarski's two-out single to center.  Junior Kyle Pollock continued the inning with a single down the left field line, before McKibban singled through the left side to score Kaczmarski, and junior Boomer Synek capped the frame with a yet another single to score Pollock.
 
Jyawook pulled Evansville within one run at 6-5 by delivering a one-out, RBI single in the sixth, before the Bison hung a three spot in the top of the seventh to push their advantage back to 9-5.
 
The Aces responded by scoring two runs in their half of the seventh, when Showers plated McKibban and Synek with a one-out, bases-loaded single through the left side.
 
UE would add one more run in the eighth on a Kaczmarski sacrifice fly that allowed Jyawook to score, making the score 9-8, but NDSU's Trevor Jaunich came on in the ninth and stranded the potentially game-tying run at second base to pick up the save for North Dakota State.
 
Colwell led the Bison by going 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored, while Kyle Kleinendorst drove in two runs and scored two more on a hit and two walks.  NDSU starter David Ernst (2-1) earned the victory on the mound, as he allowed five runs, four earned on 11 hits with three strikeouts over 6.0 innings.
 
Evansville will close out its trip to Florida and the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational tomorrow at 1 p.m., when the Aces take on Maine.