April 2, 2008

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By Tyler Koonce, Baseball Contact

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Southeast baseball came up short on the road at Evansville Wednesday. The Redhawks (11-9) tied the score at seven in the top of the ninth on a 2-run single by Matt Wulfers. Evansville answered back by loading the bases in the bottom of the frame and pulled out the victory on a sacrifice fly to left field by Derek Melton to score Greg Wallace.

Trailing by three heading in the top of the ninth, Southeast loaded the bases on three consecutive walks to Jim Klocke, Justin Wheeler and Tyrell Cummings. After a strikeout, Trenton Moses drew the fourth free pass of the inning to score Klocke and cut the lead to 7-5. Wulfers then followed with the clutch single to right field to tie the game when Wheeler and Cummings came around to score.

In the bottom of the ninth, Sam Rosener came on to pitch and yielded a perfectly placed bunt single to Wallace. After a wild pitch allowed Wallace to move up 90 feet, Corey Harness was brought on to take the mound. Southeast opted to intentionally walk Shawn Kuester to provide the chance for a double play. Andy Pascoe then laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached first when Tony Spencer came off the first base bag as he took the throw from across the diamond.

Melton then delivered the game-winning RBI on a long sacrifice fly that was caught by Wheeler a few feet in front of the warning track down the left field line.

Both teams got on the board with two runs in the third inning. Klocke hit an RBI single to score Kieran Bradford to open up the scoring. Wheeler followed with a run-scoring single of his own to right field that brought in Nick Harris.

Evansville plated two runs in the bottom of the third, highlighted by an RBI triple from Wallace. Andy Pascoe then brought Wallace across the plate with a single down the left field line to tie the score. Wheeler threw Pascoe out at second as he tried to stretch the single into a 2-base hit.

The Purple Aces scored two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single from Nate Smith and a run-scoring double by Ryan Fleming. They would add single runs in the fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

Wulfers also added an RBI single in the sixth to score Cummings, who had reached on a fielding error by Smith to lead off the inning.

Sean Zollner drove in a run with a pinch-hit RBI groundout in the top of the eighth that brought in Spencer, who had reached on a walk and advanced to third on an errant throw from a pickoff attempt at first base.

Wulfers finished with the two hits and three RBIs. Bradford also registered a multi-hit game and scored a run. Klocke, Wheeler, Moses and Zollner all notched one run driven in.

Pascoe led Evansville with three hits and two RBIs. Wallace, Melton, and Brian Robinson finished with two hits each.

John Foley (2-1) earned the victory, although he allowed two earned runs and walked four batters in the top of the ninth.

Rosener (0-1) took the loss for the Redhawks. Brad LaBruyere made the start and threw four innings, allowing seven hits and four earned runs. He struck out two and did not issue a walk.

Southeast returns to Ohio Valley Conference play with a 3-game weekend series against rival Murray State. First pitch for the Saturday doubleheader and Sunday series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. It will be Family Weekend for the players and the 1998 OVC Championship team will be on hand to celebrate their 10th anniversary of their conference championship and NCAA Regional appearance.