VALPARAISO, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team dropped the series opener at Valparaiso on Friday, as the Beacons scored three times in the ninth inning to walk it off.
Max Hansmann (Elmhurst, Ill./York) was excellent on the mound once again for Evansville, striking out a career-high 10 while limiting the Beacons to three runs in seven innings.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Evansville got on the board first in the third inning, with Ryan Seddon (Joliet, Ill./St. Laurence) delivered an RBI double. After Seddon advanced to third on a wild pitch, Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind./Seymour) came through with a sac fly to make it 2-0 in favor of the Aces.
Meanwhile, Hansmann was locked in from the start on the mound, allowing just two base runners in his first four innings of work.
In the top of the fourth, the Aces took advantage of two walks as Cooper Rhodes (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) picked up his first career RBI with a single and Reagan Reeder (Ramsey, Minn./Illinois) drove in another to make it 4-0.
Valpo got a run back in the fifth, using a solo home run to cut the deficit to four. However, the Aces responded in their next at-bats on back-to-back doubles from Reid Haire (Hudson, N.C./Charlotte) and Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) to regain a four-run lead.
Valpo began chipping away in the sixth, using a two-run single to make it a 5-3 game. The game remained at 5-3 until the bottom of the ninth, when Valpo scored three runs on four hits to walk it off.
UP NEXT
Evansville and Valpo meet again tomorrow for game two of the series. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
