March 14, 2008

Final Stats

Contact: Greg Murphy

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Josh Hungerman pitched eight shutout innings, surrendering just four hits, as Cleveland State topped Evansville, 4-1, in the opening day of the Dunn Hospitality Diamond Classic at Braun Stadium on Friday evening.

"Josh was outstanding today," head coach Kevin Kocks said. "He hit his locations and was just dominant on the mound. We really played a fundamentally sound game today and the pieces of the puzzle are slowly starting to come together."

Hungerman started the ninth inning, but was pulled after hitting the first batter. He finished with a career-high 11 strikeouts.

The win improves CSU to 4-6 this season, while the Purple Aces fall to 1-12.

The Vikings scored two runs in the fifth inning to take a 2-0 lead. Adam Heideman was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to second on a single from Tom Carter. Both runners advanced one base on a passed ball and would come around to score as Brad Buell delivered a two-run single with one out.

CSU added another pair of runs in the eighth to pad the lead. Carter reached second on an error to start the inning and was sacrificed over to third by Buell. After Alex Kerins walked, Kyle Bischof laced a single that scored Carter. Josh Geric followed with a double that plated Kerins with CSU's fourth run of the night.

The Purple Aces tried to rally in the ninth as Evansville scored a run before Vasili Pahoulis induced a game-ending double play to earn his second save of the season.

Geric and Carter finished with two hits apiece, while Carter also scored twice.

The Vikings will be back in action on Saturday, March 15, when CSU takes on Central Michigan at 11:00 a.m. in the second day of the Classic.