THE LEAD
A brilliant pitching performance from the trio of Cory Taylor, Brandon Koch, and Drew Smith, helped lead No. 9 Dallas Baptist to a 3-0 shutout win over Evansville on Thursday in an elimination game at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kansas.  Taylor worked five scoreless innings to improve to 6-1 on the season, while Drew Smith closed out the game and notched his third save of the year, as DBU (42-12) responded from being shutout yesterday by Indiana State to blank the Purple Aces.

Scoreless into the sixth inning in a pitchers' duel between Taylor and Evansville's Ryan Billo, the Patriots pushed the game's first run across the board when Daniel Salters reached on a throwing error by shortstop Stewart Nelson, allowing Drew Turbin to score all the way from second base. 

Leading 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Evansville (29-24) put runners on the corners, when DBU head coach, Dan Heefner called to the bullpen for closer, Brandon Koch.  With two on and nobody out, Koch struck out Jonathan Ramon.  A throw to second base by catcher Daniel Salters to throw out Kevin Kaczmarski on an attempted stolen base was cut by Drew Turbin and the throw home to get Jarod Perry was just in time, as Salters applied the tag just before Perry's foot touched home plate.  With the tying run standing at second and two out, Koch finished off the inning by striking out Shain Showers to preserve the 1-0 lead.

Into the seventh, DBU's David Martinelli smashed a drive to deep right where Perry could not make the catch as he crossed onto the warning track, allowing Chane Lynch to score all the way from first.  One batter later, Turbin lined out to center, bringing home Martinelli with the Patriots' third run.

After Koch silenced the Purple Aces in the seventh, Drew Smith fired two scoreless frames, retiring the side in order in both the eighth and ninth innings to preserve a 3-0 win.

DBU HEAD COACH, DAN HEEFNER – ON THE PITCHING PERFORMANCE TODAY
"I thought that was the best Cory Taylor has been all season long.  He's got great stuff and given us a lot of good outings, but that was his best one from start to finish.  In any other circumstance, Cory goes deeper into the game.  We need to come in here and win at least a couple of games and at that point of the game in the sixth, that's why we went and got Koch.  That was a huge inning when Brandon  got out of the jam and put out the fire and then Drew Smith looked really sharp to close things out."
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2 – DBU's pitching staff has allowed only two runs through the first two games at the MVC Tournament.
298 – Dan Heefner is now just two wins shy of career win No. 300.
0 – DBU kept the nation's leading hitter, Kevin Kaczmarski, hitless today.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE PATRIOTS
DBU returns to action on Friday morning at 9:00 am when they will face the loser of Indiana State and Bradley's game.