BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –  The University of Evansville baseball team mounted a late rally at Indiana on Wednesday night, but came up just short in an 8-6 defeat to the Hoosiers.

Facing an 8-3 deficit entering the ninth inning, Spike Magill (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) launched a three-run home run to make it a two-run game. Evansville then put two on and brought the tying run to second, but Indiana escaped with a strikeout to take the win.

Magill led the offense with two hits and three RBIs, while Reid Haire (Hudson, N.C./Charlotte) collected two hits, including a two-run home run.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Indiana jumped on top in the bottom of the first, using a two-run home run off Evansville starter Jack Willhite (Georgetown, Ky./Scott County) to grab the lead.

Willhite retired the side in order in the second, with help from a diving play by third baseman Ximi Baftiri (Morris, Ill./Morris), but allowed a solo home run in the third as the Hoosiers took a 3-0 lead.

Conner Vander Luitgaren (Bargersville, Ind./Center Grove) took over on the mound in the fourth, working a 1-2-3 inning. Evansville nearly broke through with their first run of the day in their next at-bats, putting runners on second and third with two outs, but a strikeout ended the threat.

Indiana extended their lead in the bottom of the fifth, leading off the inning with their third home run of the game before an RBI single made it 5-0.
Haire got the Aces on the board in the top of the fifth, blasting a two-run homer to center field, his fifth of the season.

Freshman Cameron Mosier (Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit) made his first appearance since March 3 in the sixth inning and kept the Hoosiers off the board, keeping the score 5-3.

However, the Hoosiers plated three more in the seventh, using two hits, a free pass and an error to take a six-run advantage.

Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) got a run back and extended his hitting streak to 12 games in the top of the eighth, sending a ground rule double to center field. Drew Fieger (Fort Mitchell, Ky./Lincoln Trail CC) kept the deficit at five in the eighth, stranding a runner at third while picking up a pair of strikeouts.

Evansville made things interesting in the ninth inning, with the first two runners reaching base via the walk before Magill launched a home run off the light pole in left center field to make it 5-3. Two more walks brought the go-ahead run to the plate, and a fly out advanced the runners to second and third with two outs. However, a strikeout ended the game and the Hoosiers took the win to split the season series with the Aces.

UP NEXT
Evansville looks to win their fourth consecutive MVC series this weekend, heading to Nashville to battle Belmont. First pitch for Friday's series opener is set for 4 PM.