VALPARAISO, Ind. – Facing a 5-0 deficit heading into the sixth inning on Saturday afternoon, the University of Evansville baseball team stormed back to defeat the Valparaiso Beacons and even the series at Emory G. Bauer Field.
Evansville scored four runs in the fourth on two-run home runs from Reid Haire (Hudson, N.C./Charlotte) and Reagan Reeder (Ramsey, Minn./Illinois) before taking the lead in the eighth inning on a double by Cooper Rhodes (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) and a sacrifice fly from Aaron Nehls (Evansville, Ind./North). Spike Magill (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) also had a big day offensively, going 3-for-4 with a walk.
Kevin Reed (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) got the win with a gutsy relief effort, tossing the final four innings while keeping the Beacons off the board.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game was a pitcher's duel early, with Tanner Graham (Rocheport, Mo./Hickman) and Valpo's Connor Lockwood trading zeroes through the first three innings of play.
Valpo struck first in the bottom of the fourth, using a 2-RBI single to take a 2-0 lead. The Beacons extended the lead in the fifth, scoring three runs on five hits to jump out to a 5-run advantage.
Evansville began to chip away in the sixth, starting with a leadoff double from Magill for his third hit of the day. In the next at-bat, Haire delivered a no-doubt home run to right field, bringing the Aces within three on his eighth big fly of the season. Later in the inning with a man on second, Reeder stepped to the plate and launched a home run to right center field, making it a 1-run game. The homer was his team-leading ninth of the season.
Reed took over on the mound in the sixth and kept the score at 5-4, with help from an incredible leaping catch turned inning-ending double play from Haire in center field in the seventh.
With the Aces looking to complete their rally in the top of the eighth, Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) led off the inning with an infield single before Rhodes smoked a double into the right center field gap to drive in McConnell and tie the game at five. Following an HBP, and a walk, Nehls came through with a sacrifice fly to score Rhodes and give the Aces their first lead of the afternoon.
Valpo made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth inning, putting two on with one out. The Beacons then attempted a double steal, but Magill delivered a perfect throw to third to nail the lead runner for a huge second out. From there, Reed shut the door with a strikeout to clinch the win as the Aces evened the series.
UP NEXT
Evansville and Valpo meet again tomorrow for the rubber match. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
