Breds Lose Slugfest at Reagan Field

Tuesday, April 13

Murray, Ky.

3 p.m.

Murray State

Evansville

4/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Evansville scored six runs in the top of the 10th inning to complete a seven-run comeback in handing Murray State a 20-17 defeat Tuesday afternoon at Reagan Field. The victory is the 11th in a row for the Purple Aces over the Breds.

UE (16-16) pushed across six runs in the top of the 10th on a sacrifice fly, a pair of RBI singles, a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt.

MSU (18-14) tried to rally in the bottom of the inning as Cory Hodskins walked and scored on Kyle Tiernan's double to left center. Drew Pixley followed with a run-scoring double of his own before scoring on Wes Cunningham's single to right center.

The Breds came out swinging the first inning as they sent 10 hitters to the plate and pushed across five runs. Zach Noonan got things going with a single to right center. With one out, Daniel Hill was hit by a pitch and Bryan Propst singled to center to load the bases. Colton Moore drove in a run with a single up the middle before a passed ball plated another run. Hodskins walked to load the bases and Kyle Tiernan was hit by a pitch to plate another run. Pixley scored the fourth run with a sacrifice fly to right field and Brandon Elliott drove in the final run with a single to center field.

The Purple Aces rallied for three unearned runs in the second inning as a single, walk and fielding error loaded the bases with two outs. Greg Wallace drove in all three runners with a triple just inside the first-base bag.

MSU added to the lead in the fifth as Propst doubled down the left-field line and scored on Hodskins' two-run blast to left field.

UE got one run back in the sixth as Nate Smith walked and went to second on a wild pitch before scoring on Alex Acheson's double down the right-field line.

The Breds extended the lead in the sixth as Noonan doubled and Cunningham singled ahead of Hill's three-run homer to left field.

The Aces pulled themselves within two runs in the seventh as they had six hits and pushed across four runs. John Day plated the first two runs with a bloop single to left center, before Smith delivered an RBI double to left center. Acheson drove in the final run with a single through the left side.

MSU got two of the runs back in the home-half of the inning as Pixley walked and scored on Noonan's triple down the right-field line. Noonan scored when Cunningham's grounder to second went through the legs of the drawn-in second baseman.

UE got back with two runs in the eighth as a two-out rally ended with RBI singles from Tom Heithoff and Day.

The Breds pushed the advantage back to three after the eighth as Colton Moore walked to start the inning. Elliot Frey ran for Moore and stole second before scoring on Pixley's double to left field.

The Aces took their first lead of the game in top of the ninth as Wallace delivered and RBI double to left and Cody Fick followed with a two-run single through the left side. The final run scored when Fick scored from second on a fielding error.

MSU tied the game in the ninth as Noonan started the inning with a triple off the top of the fence in left center. With two outs, Tyler Monkman delivered an RBI triple over the head of the right fielder.

Marc Harmon (1-6) took the loss after allowing six runs, three earned, on three hits and four walks (three intentional) in one inning. Heithoff (3-3) picked up the victory after allowing one run on two hits in his one inning of work.

Lost in the slugfest was the performance of MSU freshman right hander Joe Major who allowed four runs, one earned, on eight hits over 5.2 innings in his first collegiate start.

Noonan led the offense by going 4-for-4 with four runs scored. He delivered a pair of triples, making him the 12th player in MSU history to record two triples in a game. Cunningham, Propst, Moore, Hodskins and Pixley all had two hits.

The two teams will play the second game of the home-and-home series tomorrow evening at 6 p.m. at Braun Stadium in Evansville, Ind.