EVANSVILLE - In the second game of the final series of the regular season, the University of Evansville baseball team fell to Valparaiso, 8-4, on Friday night at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

"I just want to thank the fans for coming out to support this team with the type of opportunity we had," said Aces head baseball coach Wes Carroll. "Unfortunately this game can be cruel when you don't show up and play well. We just didn't play well in any facet of the game and when you lose your starting pitcher to injury 3 hitters in it was too much to overcome. Valparaiso played great and just beat us. Senior day tomorrow to celebrate a special class."

Starting the game on the mound, right-hander Nick Smith exited the game after just 14 pitches. Shane Harris came on with no notice and pitched admirably, pitching 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking-out six. Following Harris was Drew Dominik, who recorded the final 11 outs, allowing just four hits and tallying a pair of strikeouts.

Offensively, Tanner Craig and Brendan Hord led the way on the night for the Aces, each recording two hits. Four different Aces helped drive in a run with Craig and Hord joined by Mark Shallenberger and Evan Berkey with RBI.

Valparaiso jumped on the board with four runs in the top of the first inning, but the Aces answered, scoring a run in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single from Berkey that brought Craig home.

The Beacons responded with a run of their own in the top of the second, regaining a four-run lead, one they would hold until the sixth when Valpo added three more to go up 8-1.  Evansville looked to mount a late rally as it had done multiple times this season, getting two in the eighth and one more in the ninth, but the Aces could draw no closer in the 8-4 loss.

Evansville is locked-in as the No. 2 seed in next week's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and will open postseason play at 3 PM against a team still to be determined.
 

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