Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Recording its best season since 2014, the University of Evansville baseball team saw its 2022 campaign come to a close on Saturday at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Springfield, Mo.

Game One: Missouri State 7, Evansville 6
Evansville opened the scoring in the first contest in the top of the second as Chase Hug delivered an RBI single scoring Eric Roberts. The Bears would answer with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the second and took a 5-1 lead in the third with three-straight solo home runs.

In the fourth with a pair of runners on and two outs, Chase Hug came through as he has done in important moments all season. Hug drove a 3-1 pitch deep to right field to get Evansville back within one at 5-4. The fifth inning looked to be another spot for an answer from Missouri State, but Drew Dominik and Shane Harris worked together to get the Aces out of the inning unscathed.

An inning later, the Bears would get insurance with a two-run base hit from Grant Wood that lifted MSU's lead to 7-4.

The Aces mounted a late rally in the top of the ninth beginning with Roberts scoring on an error and Danny Borgstrom following with an RBI single that got UE within a run. Down to its final out, Evansville battled through a nine-pitch at bat before a strikeout ended the game.

Game Two: Illinois State 8, Evansville 5
Just like game one, Evansville jumped on the scoreboard first in the second game of the day, courtesy of Chase Hug, who did not receive the RBI, but reached on a fielder's choice, with an error allowing Simon Scherry to score.

Also in similar fashion, SIU answered the Aces opening run, scoring five-straight to take a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Continuing his big day, Hug smashed his third homer of the tournament, this one a two-run drive to center that got Evansville within two at 5-3. In the bottom half of the fifth, Kaeber Rog lifted a two-run home run to center that regained a five-run lead for the Salukis.

After SIU went in front 8-3, the incredible career of Tanner Craig still had another chapter left to write. In the top of the eighth, Craig launched a two-run homer to left in what would be his final collegiate at-bat, making his career total 48 and giving him 18 on the season as Evansville closed to within three runs.

In its last chance in the ninth, Evansville got the leadoff batter on with a single from Eric Roberts, but could not do any damage as the Salukis captured the 8-5 win.

The Aces season comes to an end with a 32-24 record, its most wins since 2014, and with two major MVC award winners and nine all-MVC selections.
 

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