Box score (Game 1 of DH)
Box score (Game 2 of DH)

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Evansville swept a doubleheader to clinch its series with the University of South Alabama baseball team Saturday at Braun Stadium. The Purple Aces evened the series with a 6-5 win in the first game of Saturday's twinbill, and took the series with a 9-5 decision in the finale.

Game 1 – Evansville 6, South Alabama 5
South Alabama put the tying run in scoring position with two outs in the top of the ninth and trailing by a run, but Evansville right-hander Brent Jurceka induced a groundout to first base off the bat of Danny Martinez for the final out of the game and a 6-5 win for the Purple Aces that evened the series at one game apiece.

USA took the game's first lead on a two-out RBI single to center field by Matt Bolger that scored Ryan Raspino, who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the frame. Gann followed with an RBI single to left field to plate Cole Billingsley, who reached on a one-out single earlier in the inning, for a 2-0 Jaguar lead.

The Purple Aces cut the South Alabama lead in half in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out RBI double to left-center field by Jonathan Ramon, and tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on a throwing error by Collura on a grounder to third by Ramon.

UE loaded the bases later in the bottom of the sixth with one out, and took a 4-2 lead on a two-run single to center field by Max Foley. Travis Tokarek followed with an RBI single to center field for a 5-2 Purple Ace advantage. Shain Showers then singled to left field to push the sixth UE run across in the game.

Consecutive singles from Garrett DeGallier and Raspino started the top of the seventh for USA. A groundout to second by Billingsley moved both runners into scoring position for Collura who singled on a line drive just out of the reach of Ramon at third to score DeGallier and cut the Jaguar deficit in half at 6-3. Collura then stole second before a two-out single to center field by Gann for the final Jaguar run of the game.

Eight Jaguars recorded at least one hit in the game, led by Gann went 3-for-4 with three RBI. Foley finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored to lead the Evansville offense.

UE left-hander Brodie Harkness (5-2) allowed five runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and three walks to earn his fifth win of the season. Jurceka allowed one hit and struck out one in one inning to record his sixth save of the year. USA right-hander Cameron Cochran (1-1) allowed five runs, all of which were unearned, on three hits with one strikeout and a pair of walks in the loss. Austin Bembnowski allowed just one run on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk in five innings without factoring in the decision.

Game 2 – Evansville 9, South Alabama 5
Evansville (20-16) scored six runs in the first two innings en route to a series-clinching win in the series finale.

Consecutive singles by Showers and Jarod Perry led off the UE bottom of the first. Kaczmarski delivered a two-run single to center field with one out later in the inning for a 2-0 Evansville lead. Gates issued consecutive walks behind Kaczmarski's single to load the bases with one out. Billy Lipari later singled to center field with two outs to score two additional Purple Aces for a 4-0 lead.

An RBI double by Josh Jyawook in the bottom of the second extended the Evansville lead to 5-0. Kaczmarski followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to push the UE lead to 6-0.

EU right-hander Connor Strain did not allow a hit until the top of the fifth when Bolger singled back up the middle with one out, and didn't allow a run until the top of the sixth when Gann delivered a two-run home run over the left-center field wall to cut the Evansville lead to 6-2. Martinez reached on a fielder's choice later in the inning, and eventually scored on a passed ball by Lipari to cut the Evansville lead in half. Gleason followed with a two-out double to right-center field before Bolger reached on a fielding error by Showers at shortstop that allowed Gleason to score and cut the EU lead to 6-4. Knapp then singled to shallow right field to put runners at the corners for Raspino who then reached on a fielding error Showers that scored Bolger and cut the Jaguar deficit to one run.

Evansville answered in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI triple to right-center field by Kaczmarski and sacrifice fly to center field by Jonathan Ramon to push its lead back to three runs.

The Purple Aces loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh, and added the final run of the game on an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Perry.

Strain (2-4) allowed five runs on five hits with a pair of strikeouts and four walks in 5 2/3 innings to earn the win. Jaguar southpaw Jared Gates (3-2) allowed four runs on five hits with two walks in two-thirds of an inning in the loss.

Gleason went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored, Bolger added two hits and a run and Gann homered, drove in two runs and scored once to lead the Jaguar offense. Kaczmarski finished 2-for-4 with a triple, four RBI and two runs scored to lead the Purple Aces at the plate.

South Alabama (25-15) will return to action with a pair of midweek games at Jacksonville State this week, with the first game scheduled for Tue., April 21, at 6 p.m. in Jacksonville, Ala. The two-game set will conclude at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).