Box Score EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A six-run fourth inning wasn't enough for SIUE baseball Tuesday night, as the Cougars fell 15-7 in a nonconference game to Evansville at Braun Stadium.
The Purple Aces scored five times in the first inning and never trailed in the game. Evansville improved to 16-9 with the win. SIUE fell to 10-16 overall with the loss.
"You score seven runs and you should win," SIUE Head Coach Tony Stoecklin said. "It's frustrating. It's frustrating for everyone."
SIUE starter Sam Hopkins (0-2) didn't record an out, surrendering the five runs in the first inning on three hits and two walks.
"It deflates the whole team to get down like that in the first inning," Stoecklin said.
Trailing 7-0, SIUE got on the board with the six-run fourth. Skyler Geissinger, Austin Verschoore, Denton Reed, and Keaton Wright each had RBI singles in the inning. Jake Michalak added a two-run double.
The Aces answered with six runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to push their lead to 13-6. Evansville centerfielder Kevin Kaczmarski capped the inning with a grand slam. He finished 2 for 5.
"It's hard enough to overcome one big inning, let alone two," Stoecklin said.
SIUE relievers Caleb Wilkerson and Brett Thomas each pitched in the inning. Wilkerson tossed 3 1/3 innings total, allowing five runs and striking out four. Thomas allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings. J.D. Williams pitched two scoreless innings in relief.
Devin Caldwell doubled to start the fifth inning and then scored on a wild pitch late in the inning to make the score 13-7. Evansville scored twice in the bottom of the eighth against SIUE reliever Mike Miller for the final margin. Kyle Pollock drove in both runs with a double. Pollock finished 4 for 5 with three doubles and four RBIs.
The Cougars finished with 11 hits overall. Michalak finished 3 for 4 with the pair of RBIs. Verschoore was 2 for 3 with an RBI.
"Jake had a nice game; he took some good at-bats," Stoecklin said. "Austin too, had a nice game."
Wright was the only Cougar with a multi-hit game. He was 2 for 5 with the RBI.
The Cougars return to Ohio Valley Conference play with a weekend series at OVC-leader Southeast Missouri Friday through Sunday. First pitch Friday is set for 5 p.m.
"We need to move past this and get ready for an important series," Stoecklin said.
