EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Behind four RBI in the bottom of the eighth inning from fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug, the University of Evansville baseball team exploded for nine runs in the eighth inning to rally past the visiting Eastern Michigan Eagles, 9-7, at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.
"It was great to get in the win column today," said UE head coach Wes Carroll. "The offense came through with a big eighth inning, thanks to some great at-bats by Chase Hug. I believe that inning, and finding a way to close it out in the ninth, can give us the spark we've been searching for early this season."
With the Eagles leading 4-0 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, Hug ignited the Evansville rally with a long two-run home run to right field to cut the deficit in half. It was Hug's first home run of the season.
The next two UE batters would get hit, before EMU reliever Trevor House (0-1) would get back-to-back ground-outs for the first two outs of the frame. Fifth-year outfielder Eric Roberts would follow with an RBI single to cut the EMU lead to 4-3, before another hit-by-pitch would load the bases. Freshman pinch-hitter Drew Howard, in his first career plate appearance, would strike out, but a wild pitch on strike three allowed Howard to reach base and UE junior shortstop Simon Scherry to score from third base to tie the game at 4-4.
UE would take the lead on a bases-loaded walk by junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse, before Hug would deliver a two-run double to right field to push the UE advantage to 7-4. A wild pitch would score the eighth run of the inning for Evansville, before Scherry would produce an RBI single to extend the lead to 9-4. In all, Evansville sent 13 men to the plate in the eighth inning.
The Eagles would rally for three runs in the top of the ninth inning before junior reliever Nate Hardman recorded a pair of strikeouts and a line out with the tying run at first base to end the contest and give UE its first win of the year. Freshman reliever Max Hansmann (1-0) earned his first victory as a Purple Ace by tossing 2.0 innings of no-hit, one-run relief while walking three.
Hug led Evansville offensively by going 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and four runs driven in. Fougerousse, Scherry and Roberts all had hits and RBI for Evansville, while junior catcher Brendan Hord also knocked a double. Designated hitter Josh Kross went 3-for-5 with four RBI to lead Eastern Michigan.
Evansville (1-5) will go for the series victory Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. as UE will send junior LHP Donovan Schultz (0-1, 15.00 ERA) to the mound. Eastern Michigan (2-3) is expected to start RHP Adam Falinski (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
