TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Senior Robby Ort tied the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with a two-run home run to left field, but Evansville's Andy Lasher answered with a three-run shot of his own in the top of the 13th inning, sending the Purple Aces to a 6-4 victory in the opening game of the Missouri Valley Conference series on Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium.

The loss drops Indiana State to 18-19 overall and 7-9 in the MVC, their first home loss in conference play this season. Evansville improves to 18-29 on the season and an even 8-8 in league play.

Both teams got going quickly on Friday, as UE scored two runs on three hits in the top of the first inning. Indiana State came back with three consecutive hits from sophomore Landon Curry, junior Cody Zimmerman and redshirt senior Koby Kraemer to plate one run in the bottom half of the frame.

ISU's Devin Moore and UE's Kyle Freeland settled in throughout the rest of their time on the mound. Moore scattered seven hits in seven innings, allowing three runs with four strikeouts. Freeland pitched into the ninth inning, allowing just six hits through eight innings.

Indiana State tied the game off Freeland in the ninth, as Kraemer drew a one-out walk before Ort sent a 0-1 pitched up into the 15 miles per hour wind blowing out to left that carried the ball just over the wall for a two-run game-tying home run.

After putting runners in scoring position in the 11th and 12th innings without scoring, Evansville broke through in the top of the 13th. Lasher hit his first home run of the season off junior Josh Dove, a three-run home run to left.

Indiana State rallied in the bottom of the 13th, scoring one run when redshirt sophomore Jacob Hayes beat out a potential game-ending double play that scored  Kraemer from third. Redshirt sophomore Connor McClain drew a walk to load the bases but UE reliever Sam Johns induced a game-ending popup by redshirt sophomore Derek Hannahs to end the game with the bases loaded.

Ort drove in two runs with his two-run home run in the ninth while Curry (2-for-5), junior Mike Fitzgerald (2-for-5) and junior Tyler Wampler (2-for-5) all tallied multi-hit games. Hannahs extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single in the 10th.

Indiana State is now 1-3 in extra-inning games this season.

Indiana State and Evansville are set for game two of their series at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The game will be broadcast live in the Wabash Valley on WAWV-TV.