Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CARBONDALE, Ill. - In a Saturday doubleheader, the University of Evansville baseball team dropped a pair of MVC contests to No. 25 SIU, 5-3 and 9-4, on Saturday afternoon at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Ill.

"SIU is playing at a high level right now and we just haven't been able to beat them in any facet of the game so far," said Aces head baseball coach Wes Carroll. "Big day at the park tomorrow as I want to see how we can bounce back early in the season with this adversity."

Game One

As has been true in all three games in the series, the Salukis struck first in the bottom of the second inning as Evan Martin hit a solo home run to give SIU the early lead. A three-run home run in the bottom of the second increased the Salukis' lead to four early in the contest. 

Evansville showcased plenty of fight, beginning to battle back in the fourth. In the fourth, freshman Mark Shallenberger singled through the right side, scoring redshirt senior Troy Beilsmith and fresh an Simon Scherry added another run for the Aces with an RBI sacrifice fly that scored junior Tanner Craig to halve SIU's lead.

After a rough early going, redshirt junior Jake McMahill settled in and pitched clean innings in the third and fourth innings. Junior Drew Dominik aided the Evansville effort, allowing a base runner in the fifth, but inducing a double play to get out of the inning.

In the sixth, the Aces inched closer, as Craig doubled down the left field line to score Beilsmith, cutting SIU's advantage to just one at 4-3. The bottom half of the sixth saw SIU add an insurance run to its tally as the Salukis took a 5-3 lead into the seventh.

With two outs, junior Mason Brinkley reached base after being hit by a pitch. The tying run came to the plate, but Evansville could not capitalize as a groundout ended the threat in SIU's 5-3 win.

Game Two

SIU scored first in the bottom of the first inning, hitting a two-run homer to give itself a 2-0 lead early. Evansville responded to the Salukis offense quickly as Craig blasted a two-run homer of his own to tie the game at two in the third.

The Salukis offense continued to show itself this weekend as SIU responded to Craig's game-tying home run by scoring in each of the third, fourth, and fifth innings, pushing its lead to 8-2.

In the seventh, Evansville started to chip away at the Salukis lead, as Beilsmith ripped a single down the left field line sending home freshman Brent Widder and junior Eric Roberts to put the Aces within four at 8-4.

Much like the opening game of the doubleheader, SIU added an insurance run heading into the final inning as an RBI double provided a five-run lead for the Salukis.

Beilsmith attempted to spur a late rally for the Aces with two outs in the ninth, reaching base on a walk and stealing second, but a fly out ended the Aces chances in SIU's 9-4 win.

Evansville closes its weekend series with the 25th-ranked Salukis at 1 PM on Sunday at Itchy Jones Field in Carbondale, Ill.
 

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