Box Score

Exploding for 10 runs on 13 hits, the DBU Patriot Baseball Team took game two of a Saturday doubleheader at Horner Ballpark, defeating University of Evansville, 10-2. With the win, DBU improves to 26-13 overall, now tied with Evansville in the Missouri Valley standings at 6-3.
 
Things were quiet through the early innings, with only one run scored by either club through the first four frames. Evansville tallied a single run in the top of the second, as Shain Showers doubled, scoring Eric McKibban.
 
The tide turned in favor of the Patriots in the fifth. Evansville loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the frame, before Cory Taylor registered a strike out and coaxed a double play, eliminating the threat and keeping the deficit at one.
 
The Patriots finally broke through offensively in the bottom half of the inning, posting four runs on a pair of two-run doubles by Daniel Salters and Justin Wall, giving DBU a 4-1 lead at the close of the fifth frame.
 
"That inning was huge for us," said DBU Head Coach Dan Heefner. "I thought our guys did a good job at the start of the game, but that gave us good confidence and energy."
 
Austin Listi pushed two more Patriot runs across in the sixth inning, drilling a home run over the left field wall, scoring Camden Duzenack and running the DBU lead to 6-1.
 
Evansville got one of the runs back in the seventh, as the Purple Aces loaded the bases with one out, but could only scratch the single run on a wild pitch by reliever Brandon Koch, who entered to take over for DBU starter Cory Taylor. The Patriots countered with a single run of their own in the inning, as Nash Knight doubled to score KJ Alexander.
 
After Koch struck out the Evansville side of the eighth inning, DBU scored another three runs, including a ringing triple to center by Salters, running the Patriot lead to the eventual final of 10-2.
 
"This was kind of a gut check for our guys," added the DBU skipper. "It's tough losing both of the first two games of the series at home, but they really responded well in this game."
 
Taylor improves to 3-2 with the win, allowing both Evansville runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings. The sophomore struck out four and walked four. Koch tallied four strikeouts, allowing one hit in 1 2/3 innings, with Joseph Shaw working the ninth, allowing no runs on a pair of hits.
 
Duzenack led all DBU hitters with three hits in five trips to the plate, scoring twice. Salters tallied a double and a triple, leading the club with three RBI and scoring twice. In addition to his home run, Listi walked twice and scored three times. Mike Wesolowski extended his hit streak to 13 games with a pair of hits.
 
For Evansville (24-14), Jake Mahon earned three hits, with McKibban pitching in two as part of an eight hit attack. Cole Isom started and took the loss to drop to 3-4, allowing four runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking five.
 
The Patriots are back at Horner Ballpark, Tuesday, hosting Stephen F. Austin in non-conference action. That game is schedule for a 6:30 p.m. start.