Box Score
Printable Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Junior pitcher Kyle Freeland allowed just one run in 8.0 innings with a season-high 10 strikeouts and got more than enough run support, as the University of Evansville baseball team recorded 10 or more hits for the fourth-straight game in an 8-2 victory over visiting Eastern Kentucky Friday night at Braun Stadium.
 
Evansville (14-8) recorded 13 hits on the night, just one shy of its season high, and had four players finished with multiple hits, including senior Jake Mahon, who went 3-for-5 with a double and scored three runs.  The Aces' three, four and five hitters – Kevin Kaczmarski, Kyle Pollock and Boomer Synek – combined for five RBIs, while Josh Jyawook (2-for-3), Jonathan Ramon (2-for-4) and Jarod Perry (2-for-4) bolstered the UE offense.
 
Freeland (4-1) scattered five hits in his 8.0 frames to improve his ERA to 2.02 and issued just one walk to go with his 10 Ks, bringing his strikeout-to-walk ratio to a staggering 45:3.  Senior Tyler Miller tossed the ninth for Evansville, allowing one run on two base hits with a walk.
 
The Aces scored in each of the first four innings to build an 8-0 lead, before Eastern Kentucky (11-14) scored single runs in both the seventh and ninth frames to make the final tally, 8-2.
 
UE wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Jyawook led off the bottom of the first with a hard grounder through the right side of the infield, before Mahon followed with a double down the line in right.  Kac zmarski was able to score Jyawook with a sacrifice fly to center, before Synek capped the inning with a two-out, infield single.
 
The Colonels responded by loading the bases with just one out in the top of the second, but Freeland quickly put an end to the threat with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Perry pushed UE's lead to 3-0 with an RBI groudout in the bottom of the second, before Evansville scored two more runs in the third on a sac fly off the bat of Synek and a balk by EKU starter Tanner Perkins (2-4).
 
The Aces broke the game open in the bottom fourth by hanging three more runs to go up, 8-0.  Perry started the rally with a one-out single to center, before Jyawook was hit by a pitch and Mahon loaded the bases with an infield grounder to the hole on the left side of the infield.  Kaczmarski then popped a ball up on the infield and was called out on the infield fly rule, but Perry was able to score from third, after Eastern Kentucky left fielder dropped the towering fly ball.  Pollock capped the inning with a two-run double down the left field line to score both Jyawook and Mahon.
 
The Colonels ended Freeland's shutout bid in the top of the seventh, when Blair led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground out by Doug Teegarden.
 
Kenny Hostrander scored EKU's final run with an RBI double in the ninth, before Miller ended with a pop up to second base.
 
Evansville and Eastern Kentucky will continue the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Braun Stadium.  The Aces will send sophomore righty Connor Strain to the mound and the Colonels are expected to counter with the right-handed Brent Cobb.