Life in the Valley

With the beginning of conference play looming this weekend, and weather playing some havoc with schedules across the country (tornadoes in Southern California … what?) … there were only 2 games Wednesday night in the Missouri Valley Conference, as Evansville hit the road to take on SIU-Edwardsville, while Murray State hosted Austin Peay. The games met with mixed results for Valley fans and here are the recaps.

Evansville Bats Thunder in Slugfest Win

The Purple Aces scored 4 runs in each of the 3rd and 4th innings to build a 9-1 lead and eventually hold on for an 11-7 win at SIU-Edwardsville. Evansville hit 4 home runs in the win, 2 off the bat of Brendan Hord. The UE catcher went 4-for-6 with 4 RBIs in the victory. Eric Roberts and Brent Widder also homered for Evansville. Chase Hug doubled and walked twice for the Purple Aces, as well.

On the mound, Jarrett Blunt started and went 3 innings to get the victory, the first of a parade of 5 Evansville pitchers used. UE hurlers gave up 8 hits and 8 walks, but struck out 9. UE pitchers needed 158 pithes to get through the game, while SIU-Edwardsville mound men needed a laborious 214, in part due to Evansville batters drawing a dozen walks themselves.

Evansville (13-7) opens Valley play with a tough series right off the bat, visiting Missouri State (11-8). The Bears had defeated SIU-Edwardsville twice themselves, along with a pair of wins over Southeast Missouri State before dropping all 3 games in a tough series at #10 East Carolina. More on this series and every other Valley confrontation here in Friday’s weekend previews.

Racers Vetoed by Governors

Austin Peay built a 5-0 lead through 3 innings and never looked back, doing Murray State, 10-3, in Murray, Ky., on Wednesday. LF Taylor Howell hit a solo homer for Murray State, which fell below .500 on the season with the loss (10-11). APSU C Trevor Conley led the Governors’ attack offensively, going 4-for-5 with 4 RBIs, including 3 singles and a double. Austin Peay 3B Ambren Voitik stole 4 bases and scored 3 runs. He had 2 steals for the season coming into Wednesday’s game.

Murray State’s final 3 relievers (of 8 pitchers used) held the Governors down late. Cade Vernon, Preston Chaudoin, and Joe Peca combined to throw 3 consecutive innings of scoreless, hitless relief with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. Peca, a redshirt freshman from Cadiz, Ky., made his collegiate debut.

The Racers open Valley play this weekend against visiting Bradley (6-10). The Braves have lost 7 of their last 9 games, but that’s come against tough competition, including Jacksonville State, Jacksonville (no relation), Florida Atlantic, Michigan, and Illinois.