SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The fifth-seeded Evansville Purple Aces scored seven runs in the opening two innings on Wednesday and held off an Indiana State rally, eliminating the top-seeded Sycamores on Wednesday by a score of 8-5 from Hammons Field.

Indiana State finishes the regular season at 41-17 and will turn their attention to the NCAA Selection Committee. The postseason field will be fully announced on Monday, May 28, at 12:00 p.m. (ET) on ESPNU.

Evansville (32-26) took the lead in the first inning, getting a two-out solo home run by Kyle Pollock. The Purple Aces added six more runs in the second inning to go ahead 7-0.

The Sycamores got on the board in the third inning, as senior Ryan Walterhouse led off the frame with a double to left-center before redshirt junior Koby Kraemer followed with his second home run of the season down the left field line.

ISU cut the UE lead to 8-5 in the eighth inning, as senior Jon Hedges took advantage of an Evansville error that gave Indiana State an extra out, sending a two-out, two-run over the left field wall. The home run was the seventh of the season for Hedges.

That was as close as Indiana State would get on Wednesday, as ISU became the first team since Wichita State in 1990 to win the regular season championship and lose their first two games on the conference tournament.

The Purple Aces roughed up junior Dakota Bacus, totaling eight runs (five earned) on 11 hits in six innings. UE scored four of their eight runs with two outs in the inning.