EVANSVILLE, Ind.  –  The University of Evansville baseball team secured their first series win of the season on Sunday afternoon, defeating Milwaukee by a score of 4-2 in the rubber match at Charles H. Braun Stadium.

For the second straight day, the Evansville pitching staff was excellent, limiting the Panthers to two runs on seven hits. Kevin Reed (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) got the win, working five strong innings before giving way to Owen Byberg (Barrie, Ontario/Frontier CC). Byberg was dominant, tossing the game's final four frames to secure the save, striking out two without a walk. The right-hander allowed just three singles while lowering his season ERA to a sparkling 1.32. Offensively, six Aces collected hits, while Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind./Seymour) drove in two runs.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Milwaukee threatened in the first inning, drawing a pair of walks to start the game before a sacrifice bunt put men on second and third with one out. However, Reed was able to work out of the jam, generating a shallow fly out to right field before second baseman Wyatt Pennington (Avon, Ind./Avon) made a sliding play up the middle to record the third out of the inning.

After Reed retired the side in order in the top of the second, the Aces strung together three consecutive singles in the home half of the inning, capped by an RBI single to left field by Ximi Baftiri (Morris, Ill./Morris) to get the scoring started.

Milwaukee got the run back in their next at-bats, but Evansville struck back in the bottom of the third, as Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo./Northeast CC) led off the inning with a double before coming around to score on an RBI single from Longmeier.

The Panthers threatened again in the fifth with leadoff double and would even the score on an RBI single, but Reed limited the damage by stranding runners at second and third to finish his day.

Just as they did in the third, the Evansville lineup responded again, loading the baseswith nobody out. Following a pitching change, the Aces cashed in, with Longmeier delivering a sac fly and Spike Magill (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) driving in another run on a fielder's choice to give Evansville a 4-2 lead.

From that point, Byberg dominated. In the sixth, Byberg induced three fly-outs to work around a one-out single before eliminating another one-out single in the seventh by generating a 6-4-3 double play.

Evansville looked to add insurance in the eighth, with a pair of baserunners reaching via HBP. However, they were left stranded.

Byberg slammed the door, however, retiring the side in order in the ninth to pick up the save and give the Aces the series win.

UP NEXT
Evansville plays the first of nine consecutive road games on Tuesday, taking on SEMO in Cape Girardeau. First Pitch is set for 3 PM.