EVANSVILLE, Ind. – After being held scoreless for six innings of Sunday's series finale with Missouri State, Evansville scored four times in its final two turns at bat to erase a three-run deficit and post a 4-3 victory over the Bears at Braun Stadium.

Evansville (23-24, 10-8 MVC), currently tied with Bradley for the No. 4 position in the MVC standings, extended its lead over the Bears (16-34, 7-11 MVC) in the Valley's regular-season race to three games with one league series to play.

Craig Shepherd turned in a 2-for-4 performance that included an eighth-inning double that sparked the Purple Aces' go-ahead rally, while UE relievers Shane Gray and Austin Allinger combined to hold the Bears to a single run on three hits over the final 4.0 innings.

The Bears appeared to be in control of the contest after scoring in three straight innings to take a 3-0 lead into the home half of the seventh. Logan Geha scored the game's first run after doubling to start the fifth, as Jack Duffy's sacrifice fly brought the junior home from third after a failed pickoff attempt allowed him to advance to third.

Geha factored prominently in the Bears' sixth-inning scoring rally as well, lifting a sac fly of his own to right to bring in Whetstone, who singled to lead off the inning. Finally, a two-out solo shot to center by Dakota Kotowski gave the Bears their third run of the game in the top of the seventh.

MSU's Davis Schwab limited the Purple Aces to four hits over the first six frames in extending his personal scoreless streak to 11.0 straight innings, but UE recorded three-consecutive singles to start the bottom of the seventh. The third Bears double play of the day allowed the first UE run to score, and Eric Roberts' pinch single with two out drove in a second run, trimming the MSU lead to 3-2.

Shepherd started the UE eighth with a double off the wall in left, before moving to third on a Nate Reeder fly ball to right. A walk to Tanner Craig and a hit batsman loaded the bases, and Connor Sechler (2-6) uncorked a wild pitch to allow the tying run to cross the plate. Moments later, Danny Borgstrom's liner to left was reeled in by a diving Collin Clayton, but Craig easily scored from third on the sacrifice to put the home club on top to stay.

The Bears threatened in the top of the ninth, using a leadoff walk to Duffy and a Drew Millas single to put a pair of runners on base. But Allinger (1-2) got Kotowski to swing and miss at a third strike for the first out, then retired Whetstone and Clayton on back-to-back ground balls to seal the series-clinching victory.

MSU, which left 14 runners on base in Friday's 4-3 series-opening loss, stranded seven men in scoring position in the finale.

Millas paced the MSU offense with a 3-for-5 day at the plate as the lone Bear to record multiple hits in the game. Geha finished 1-for-2 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI to help spur the Bears' first two scoring rallies.

Schwab finished his day with 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out four Aces.

Up next, the Bears return to Hammons Field for their final home series of the season. MSU opens its three-game Valley set against Valparaiso Thursday (May 16) with a 6:30 p.m. (CDT) contest.