EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team picked up its first win of 2025 after splitting a doubleheader at home with the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles.

It was a tale of two teams on Sunday afternoon for the Purple Aces as the offense struggled in game one but came alive in the second game of the day. UE only had two hits and one run in a 9-1 loss to start the doubleheader against USI. But in the second game Evansville connected on 14 hits for 13 runs in a 13-0 run-rule victory of the Screaming Eagles. It was the Aces first win of the year after dropping close games to Little Rock and Lipscomb in the first week of the season.

"I'm proud of the bounce back win today," said Head Coach Wes Carroll following the doubleheader. "You have to credit USI's starter [RHP Blake Kimball] in game one as we couldn't get anything going offensively. The second game was a special outing from Kevin Reed in a much-needed spot.

We got a spark offensively from [Charlie] Longmeier and [Drew] McConnell that created a big fourth inning. Now we have to continue to grow as a team as we go on the road for our next 18 games."

Game 1
It was a slow start for both teams on Sunday as neither team had a hit in the first two innings and only one strikeout picked up by UE starter Kenton Deverman (Dardenne Prairie, Mo. Fort Zumwalt West HS). It was the Screaming Eagles who broke the 0-0 tie with three hits and two runs in the top of the third. Evansville responded with two runners on in the bottom of the inning but didn't find a hit to bring anyone home.

USI extended its lead to three in the top of the fifth with a single and a double. The Aces got their first hit of the day in the bottom of the fifth as junior third baseman Drew Howard (Ferdinand, Ind. / Forest Park HS) doubled down the third base line. But UE stranded Howard and right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) as it stayed 3-0.

Evansville threatened on the basepaths in the bottom of the seventh as two batters were hit by pitches and center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) put a single into right field. But as had become a common occurrence over the first week of action the Aces stranded all three runners going into the eighth.

The Eagles took full control of the game in the eighth inning. USI went through their lineup a full time in the half inning, connecting on five hits while scoring six runs. The Eagles added their final hit of the first game in the top of the ninth while all three of their other batters were struck out by redshirt junior RHP Parker MacCauley (Paducah, Ky. Tennessee Tech).

UE was able to end the shutout attempt by USI in the bottom of the ninth. Designated hitter Matt Flaherty (Lake Zurich, Ill. Bellarmine) scored Evansville's lone run on a fielder's choice after three straight walks for the offense. The Aces didn't bring another runner home as a strikeout to second baseman Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley) ended the game.

Deverman was credited with the loss for UE, pitching seven innings with 10 hits, six runs, one walk, and three strikeouts. Also pitching for Evansville in relief was freshman Jack Clevidence (Ankeny, Iowa / Ankeny HS) for 0.2 innings and MacCauley for 1.1 innings.

Game 2
The start of the second game seemed like it would be similar to the first as USI's lead off batter singled through the right side. The Aces defense held strong to strand two runners and took the Eagles down in order in the second inning. UE's bats got going in the bottom of the second with two singles and a walk but didn't score a run.

Neither team had a hit in the third inning as starting pitcher Kevin Reed (Martinsville, Ind. / Martinsville HS) struck out two Eagles back-to-back. USI threatened to start the fourth with a double but two more strikeouts from Reed ended the half inning. Evansville had a monster fourth inning with 17 at bats, coming one shy of going through the lineup twice.

In those 17 at bats the Aces connected on nine hits while taking 14 bases. UE scored 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, a feat not done by Evansville since 2022 against Austin Peay with 12 runs scored in an inning. Of the Aces nine batters only two had multiple hits as Longmeier and McConnell connected both times at the plate.

The Eagles had to use four separate pitchers in the bottom of the fourth inning. Two putouts and one strikeout between eight batters had UE up 11-0 at the end of the fourth. USI went down in order to start the fifth while McGinnis had his second hit of the day but was putout on the base paths.

Evansville added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth after another three up and three down inning on defense. Two singles and a walk for the Aces had three runners on the bases. Sophomore catcher Kaleb Wilkey (Manhattan, Ill. Lincoln-Way West HS) and McConnell scored to give UE a 13-0 lead.

Up by over 10 runs Evansville only needed to keep the Eagles from scoring three runs to end the game in the middle of the seventh. USI got a lead-off single, but the Aces locked in and got three straight outs to run rule the Eagles 13-0. Reed earned his first win of the season on the mound, pitching all seven innings for three hits, two walks, and nine strikeouts.

Between the two games Rumsey and Longmeier led the offense with three hits each. Three other UE players had two hits on the day while McConnell led Evansville in RBI's bringing in four runs. On defense first baseman Kevin McCormick (Orland Park, Ill. St. Laurence HS) led the team with 11 putouts while Wilkey and catcher Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind. Bedford North Lawrence HS) had nine and seven putouts each.

UP NEXT
The Aces hit the road for the next month after two games at The Braun. UE begins its month-long road trip with a midweek game at Kentucky on Tuesday, February 25. First pitch from Kentucky Proud Park is set for 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday.