Box Score (PDF)

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team (8-9, 0-1) scored five runs in the ninth and brought the tying run to the plate but the #18 Dallas Baptist Patriots held on late for 10-6 Missouri Valley Conference opening defeat of the Purple Aces.
 
Trailing 10-1 entering the bottom of the ninth, UE sent 11 men to the plate in a rally against three different Dallas Baptist pitchers. The inning began with five straight batters reaching base, the last of which was a three-run double from catcher Travis Tokarek. Down just 10-5, UE scored another run on a bases loaded walk from outfielder Josh Jyawook. With the tying run due up, Dallas Baptist brought in closer Brandon Koch who struck out infielder Jonathan Ramon to seal the Patriots win.
 
"We showed a lot of fight there in the ninth," said Evansville head coach Wes Carroll. "With the tying run at the plate, we forced them to go to their closer when they were just up 10-1. I think that is a good position to be in for us. We just didn't get the big knock."
 
The game was low-scoring early on as DBU broke a scoreless tie in the third. Facing Aces right-hander Connor Strain, the Patriots worked back to back walks, a sacrifice bunt and a Drew Turbin RBI groundout for the 1-0 lead. After Dallas Baptist plated another run in the fifth, UE answered back. Down 2-1, the Aces assembled a two-out rally against DBU righty Joseph Shaw. A walk from designated hitter Max Foley and a single by catcher Billy Lipari put two men on for infielder Stuart Nelson who hit an RBI base hit to center field. Shaw then induced outfielder Jarod Perry to fly out and end the threat.
 
The score remained 2-1 Dallas Baptist until the seventh. With two men on and two out, Turbin struck again for a three-run home run to right-center field. The first home run of the year for Turbin knocked Strain (1-2) out of the game. Strain yielded five runs on 6.2 innings pitched.
 
Up 5-1, the Patriots scored four more runs in the eighth and another run in the ninth.
 
Down to their last at-bat and trailing by nine, UE pulled to within four before Koch earned the save and preserved the DBU victory.
 
Tokarek had just two runs batted in this season before his three-run double. The hit ended an 0-for-21 stretch for the freshman. The two runs for Foley tied a career-high. Perry finished 1-for-4, extending his team-high, personal best on-base streak to 18 games.
 
The three game weekend series will continue on Saturday, March 21 with a 2:00 p.m first pitch at Braun Stadium. The Aces have right-hander Patrick Schnieders (1-2, 3.45 ERA) as the probable pitcher against Patriots righty Cory Taylor (2-1, 4.50). Tickets to the Saturday afternoon game are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors/children.