CHICAGO – The University of Evansville baseball team capped off its series with the UIC Flames with another close contest through nine innings.

The Purple Aces battled back from a 5-0 deficit on Sunday but couldn't quite catch up with UIC in the 7-5 loss. Center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) and right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) led UE on offense with two hits each. While starting pitcher Max Hansmann (Elmhurst, Ill. / York HS) had the longest outing on the mound at 3.2 innings with all five strikeouts for Evansville.

It was a slow start Sunday for the Aces as they went down in order. The Flames were ready to go early, loading the bases with a hit, an error, and a hit by pitch in the first. But UE's defense got back-to-back outs to keep the game scoreless after one.

Infielder Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley) had Evansville's first hit of the game with a lead off double to start the second inning. But the Aces next three batters all went down in order, stranding McGinnis at second. UIC got a runner on base in the bottom of the second with a walk but two strikeouts and a flyout after the walk ended the inning.

The third was another 1-2-3 inning on offense for UE as the Flames started the bottom of the inning with a lead off home run to take a 1-0 lead. Evansville was able to keep UIC's offense to only the solo shot as the defense took down the next three batters in order. After another brief inning on offense in the fourth, the Flames jumped out to a five-run lead after loading the bases. A double followed by a single scored all four runners on base for UIC with two outs on the board in the bottom of the fourth.

The Aces were able to get on the board in the next half inning as right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) put his sixth home run of the year out of left field. Yet the Flames were able to answer back in the bottom of the inning on a passed ball to retake a five-run lead.

Despite an out to begin the seventh, UE got a single to center from Rumsey and a stolen base along with a walk for Longmeier. Evansville pulled off the double steal during catcher Matt Flaherty's at-bat to put both runners in scoring position. Flaherty then hit a sacrifice fly out to center to score Rumsey.

UIC answered again in the sixth with two singles and a walk to get the run back quickly. But the Aces offense kept its momentum from the prior inning as they strung together a walk and two singles to load the bases. A walk to pinch hitter Ben Stuart (Mason, Ohio / William Mason HS) scored a run for UE while keeping the bases loaded.

Evansville followed up with its third single of the inning and the second of the day from Rumsey to make it a three run game. With the bases loaded for the third time in the seventh a sac fly to center from left fielder Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind. / Seymour HS) made it a 7-5 game. The Aces next batter struck out, sending the game to the bottom of the seventh.

UE kept the Flames from scoring in the seventh, the home team's first scoreless inning since the second. Evansville threatened in the top of the eighth loading the bases on a hit by pitch, a single, and a walk. But with two outs on the board the Aces weren't able to bring a run home on a ground out to second base.

UIC stranded two runners in the bottom of the eighth, giving UE one more chance to try and tie up the game. Evansville began the inning with Rumsey at first thanks to a lead off hit by pitch from the Flames closer. But the Aces next three batters all ground out into the infield to end the game.

UE returns home for a midweek matchup with the Butler Bulldogs on Tuesday. First pitch from German American Bank Field against the Bulldogs is set for 6 p.m.