EVANSVILLE, Ind.  –  The University of Evansville baseball team responded to a tough loss in Friday's series opener with a dominant pitching performance on Saturday, taking game two of the series against Milwaukee by a 2-1 score.

Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind./Seymour) got the Aces going in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run, and that was all that starter Max Hansmann (Elmhurst, Ill./York) needed, tossing six innings of one-run ball before giving way to freshman Tanner Graham (Rocheport, Mo./Hickman), who closed out the win with three scoreless innings in relief.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Hansmann started strong, retiring the Panthers in order in the top of the first. Wyatt Pennington (Avon, Ind./Avon) picked up the first hit of the day with a one-out single in the home half, setting up Longmeier for a no-doubt two-run shot to right field. The home run was his first of the season and gave the Aces a 2-0 lead.

Hansmann sat down the Panthers in order again in the second before stranding two in the third to get through three scoreless innings. In the fourth, the Panthers got a run back with a solo home run, but Hansmann worked around a leadoff single in the fifth to keep the score 2-1.

In the bottom of the fifth, Evansville backstop Kaleb Wilkey (Manhattan, Ill./ Lincoln-Way West) led the inning off with a single and advanced to second, but was left stranded.

In his final inning of work, Hansmann posted his third clean inning of the afternoon, striking out the final two Panthers he faced to finish his outing with seven punch-outs to tie a career-high. Through three weeks, Hansmann holds a 2.12 ERA and has turned in five-plus innings in each of his three starts.

Graham took over on the mound in the seventh, surrendering a leadoff single before striking out the next two and working around an error to strand two. In the eighth, the freshman again allowed a single, this time with one out, but induced a double play ball to shortstop to put up another zero.

Milwaukee made things interesting in the ninth inning, using a walk and an error to put two on with one out. However, Graham got the next two batters to fly out, securing a 2-1 win and his second save of the season.  

UP NEXT
Evansville and Milwaukee will meet Sunday afternoon for the rubber match. First pitch at Charles H. Braun Stadium is set for 1 PM.