EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the University of Evansville baseball team scored two runs to secure a 1-0 win over UIC in the series opener.
Max Hansmann (Elmhurst, Ill./York) had another dominant start for the Aces, tossing a career-high eight innings on 113 pitches while limiting the Flames to one run. Hansmann struck out five on the night, surpassing the 200-strikeout mark for his career.
Spike Magill (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) had two hits, while Reid Haire (Hudson, N.C./Charlotte) drove in the tying run with a single and Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) drove in the winning run with a squeeze bunt.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the bottom of the first, Magill led off with a single to extend his reached base streak to 40 games, but the Aces were kept off the board. UIC led off the top of the second with a double, but Hansmann buckled down to strand the runner and keep the game scoreless.
UIC took the lead in the top of the fourth, however, using a solo home run to grab a 1-0 advantage.
That was all Hansmann would allow, though, putting up four consecutive zeroes to get through a career-high eight innings. Hansmann capped his outing in a big way, coming up with a strikeout to end the eighth and strand a runner at third.
The momentum carried over to the bottom half of the inning, as the Aces put the first two men on base. Following a fly out, Haire delivered a single to right field, driving in Cooper Rhodes (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) to tie the game at one. In the next at-bat, McConnell dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt to bring home Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo./Northeast CC) and give the Aces a 2-1 lead.
With his team now in front, Owen Byberg (Barrie, Ontario/Frontier CC) took over on the mound and slammed the door, retiring the side in order to pick up the save and give the Aces a 2-1 win.
UP NEXT
Evansville and UIC meet again on Saturday afternoon for game two of the series. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
