EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team scored seven two-out runs on Tuesday night to power past the visiting Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers, 10-8, at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.
"It feels great to get back into the win column," said UE head coach Wes Carroll. "We had some great two-out at-bats tonight to really create a big inning in that second inning. Then, we were able to tack on some runs late, which was key, as we had to hold on for this win."
WKU took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the second inning, but that's when UE's two-out magic set the tone for the entire night. With two-on and two-out in the frame, fifth-year outfielder Danny Borgstrom started the two-out rally with an RBI single up the middle. Freshman designated hitter Drew Howard then plated his first collegiate RBI with a two-out RBI single to right-center field to tie the game at 2-2.
After a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, UE fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug unloaded them with a three-run triple into the right-field corner to give UE a 5-2 lead.
Sophomore catcher Evan Waggoner would add an RBI double in the third inning, and came around to score on another RBI single by Borgstrom to push the lead to 7-2. Then, Evansville dialed up some more two-out magic in the fifth inning to plate two more two-out runs, as Howard bounced a ball that stopped on the third-base line for an infield single, and senior outfielder Mark Shallenberger belted a two-out, two-run home run deep to right field to give UE a 9-2 lead.
The lead would grow to 10-2 on an RBI single by junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse in the sixth inning, before WKU would rally back. The Hilltoppers plated three runs each in the seventh and eighth innings to rally within two runs at 10-8. Graduate outfielder Eric Roberts then moved to the mound in the ninth inning, and recorded his first save since 2021 with a perfect ninth inning, getting a strikeout looking to end the contest.
Fougerousse, Borgstrom and Howard all had two hits each to lead UE's 11-hit attack, as the bottom trio in the Evansville order combined to go 6-for-12 with three runs scored and four RBI in the contest. Hug added three RBI, while Shallenberger's home run was his third of the year. The victory went to UE freshman starter Max Hansmann who scattered two runs (one earned) on three base hits in a season-high 3.0 innings of work in a scheduled short-start.
With the victory, Evansville improves to 21-15 overall. WKU, meanwhile, evens its record at 19-19. Evansville returns to the road to conclude a stretch of seven out of eight games on the road this weekend, as the Purple Aces will travel to Murray, Kentucky to take on the Murray State Racers in a pivotal Missouri Valley Conference series standings-wise. Murray State currently sits a game ahead of Evansville in the Valley standings in fourth place with a 7-5 conference mark (compared to UE's 6-6 record). The series will begin Friday night at 5 p.m. and can be heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS and seen live on ESPN+.
