EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Every Indiana State rally on Friday evening was equaled by Evansville with Matt Flaherty's walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth the final counter as the Sycamores fell in the second game of the weekend series at German American Bank Field, 6-5.
 
The Sycamores (20-18, 8-6) rallied back to even the game up at 5-5 in the top of the ninth inning against Evansville (12-25, 6-8) reliever Drew Fieger with Jeremy Martinez sparking the stretch with a leadoff single through the right side. With Jordan Austin in to pinch-run, the redshirt sophomore took second base on a wild pitch, and then advanced to third on a passed ball to stand 90 feet from the plate.
 
After Jackson Taylor was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners, Fieger uncorked a wild fastball that hit the backstop on the fly allowing Austin to slide home ahead of the relay and tie the game up at 5-5.
 
The Sycamores called on Colby Morse (2-3) to take the mound in the bottom of the frame, while Evansville countered with pinch-hitter Flaherty. The Indiana State right-hander worked a 2-2 count against the Evansville batter, before Flaherty was able to loft the ball up into the wind with it carrying over the left field wall for the game-winning solo home run.
 
Every inning Indiana State scored in the contest, Evansville matched as both teams put runs across the plate in the first, second, fourth, and ninth innings.
 
Carter Beck was the early offense for the Sycamores scoring a run in the first inning and driving in an RBI in the second. Thomas Emerich added a two-run home run over the wall in left field to provide early power for the Indiana State hitters.
 
Emerich went 3-for-4 from the plate with a pair of RBIs in leading the Indiana State offense on the day. Carter Beck added a pair of hits, while Jackson Taylor doubled as the Sycamores out-hit the Aces 9-8 on the day.
 
Ty Brooks went the first 4.0 innings in the contest allowing six hits and five runs while striking out three. Jack Armstrong continued the strong Sycamore outings out of the bullpen striking out four of the first five batters he faced on his way to posting 3.2 innings with a career-high six strikeouts. Zac Laird pitched out of a high-leverage situation in the eighth with a strikeout before Morse took over in the ninth.
 
Ty Rumsey recorded three of Evansville's eight hits in the contest and drove in a pair of RBIs to lead the Aces. Harrison Taubert scored twice, while Evan Waggoner doubled.
 
Kevin Reed went 7.0 strong innings in the start for the Aces allowing eight hits and four runs while striking out four. Fieger went the final 2.0 innings with a trio of strikeouts to record the victory.
 
How They Scored

• Indiana State took the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Carter Beck singled to right field, stolen second base, moved to third on an Andrew Ortiz fly out, and then scored on Carlos Pena's RBI grounder back up the middle.
• The Aces tied the game up in the bottom of the frame as Brodie Peart singled home Ty Rumsey to even the score at 1-1.
• Beck continued to have the hot bat with an RBI single through the right side of the infield scoring Jackson Taylor in the top of the second inning, but the Indiana State rally ended as the final out came on a relay to the plate that caught Thomas Emerich attempting to score to keep it a 2-1 game.
• Evansville went up 3-2 in the bottom of the second as Evan Waggoner doubled in Harrison Taubert, while Rumsey singled home Waggoner to put the Aces ahead.
• Emerich swung the lead back to the Sycamores as the graduate student hammered the first pitch he saw in the top of the fourth inning connecting on a two-run home run over the left field wall scoring Taylor to put Indiana State ahead 4-3.
• The Aces responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning as Drew Howard singled home Taubert, while Rumsey brought home Howard with an RBI base hit to put Evansville ahead 5-4.
• The Sycamores tied the game up in the top of the ninth inning as Jordan Austin slid home on a wild pitch to even the game up at 5-5.
• Evansville walked it off in the bottom of the inning as Matt Flaherty pinch-hit and led off the inning with a solo home run over the left field wall to provide the final 6-5 scoring margin.

News & Notes

• Carlos Pena's on-base streak (31) and hitting streak (10) came to an end on Friday evening as the senior went 0-for-4 from the plate with an RBI.
• Jackson Taylor ran his on-base streak to 19 consecutive games after going 1-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch and a pair of runs scored.
• Evansville's Matt Flaherty's solo home run in the ninth inning marked the third time in the 2025 season the Sycamores have been walked off on the year. Previous losses include opening day against Wagner (3-2, Feb. 14) and Belmont (10-8 (10), Apr. 6). All three walk-off losses have been via home run.
• Jack Armstrong recorded a career-high six strikeouts over 3.2 innings of work. The Sycamore bullpen has gone 6.1 innings over the weekend series allowing two hits while striking out 13 to date against the Purple Aces.
• Thomas Emerich's two-run home run in the fourth inning marked his second home run of the 2025 season and first since he homered off the left field foul pole on April 6 against Belmont.

Up Next
Indiana State and Evansville close out the weekend series tomorrow evening with first pitch set for 6 p.m. ET at GAB Field. The game is set to be carried live on ESPNU and 105.5 The Legend.
 
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