TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Facing a pivotal stretch in its Missouri Valley Conference slate, the University of Evansville softball team earned a split in a doubleheader at Indiana State on Wednesday.
The day started out with Indiana State (21-20, 8-8 MVC) earning a 6-3 win before Evansville (12-27, 5-11 MVC) came back with a huge 6-2 victory in the second contest.
Game One Box Score (PDF) - Game Two Box Score (PDF)
"We hit the ball really well today and finally got that timely hit in game two that we have been missing the last few weeks," UE head coach Mat Mundell said. "Jaime had an outstanding game in the circle. She had her pitches really moving today."
GAME ONE
Both teams were able to score in the first inning of game one. Lindsay Renneisen got the scoring started with her fifth home run of the season in the first inning, but Indiana State took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Brooke Mann had the big hit for ISU, bringing home both runs with a double to right-center.
McKenzie Johnson helped her squad tie it back up in the top of the third as McKenzie Johnson sent her sixth home run out of the park to knot it at 2-2. The game remained that way until the bottom of the fifth when Indiana State made its big run. Four runs came home as Bailey Martin started it off with an RBI single before Shaye Barton hit a bases clearing double to extend their lead to 6-2.
Evansville threatened in the top of the sixth when a bases loaded walk by Morgan Florey gave UE its third run of the game. With one out and the bases loaded, ISU was able to record the final two outs and hold on for the 6-3 win. Eryn Gould notched three of the Aces six hits in the game. Florey threw all six innings and accumulated five strikeouts.
GAME TWO
Jaime Nurrenbern was in the circle for the second matchup and continued to pitch well, allowing just four hits through the opening four frames. Her offense came out swinging, scoring twice in the bottom of the first. Fresh off of a 3-hit game, Eryn Gould led off with a double to center. With two outs, Brittany Hay singled to right to score Gould. A single by Elyse Hickey brought home the second run.
Indiana State looked to be in good shape to finish off the fifth inning. The first two Sycamore runners reached base, but Nurrenbern buckled down, forcing a double play and a groundout to keep ISU off the board. The Aces added a pair of runs in the sixth as Nurrenbern helped her own cause. With two outs, she singled to right to score Lindsay Renneisen and Elyse Hickey, who each singled earlier in the inning.
Those runs proved to be huge as ISU plated two runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth to get within two runs. UE never relented as a Florey single in the top half of the 7
th scored two runs as the lead was pushed back out to four at 6-2. That was the end of the scoring as the Aces halted an 8-game losing streak.
Renneisen, Hickey and Nurrenbern each had two hits apiece as the squad finished with 10. Nurrenbern picked up her second win of the season, throwing seven innings while allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits.
This weekend, Evansville heads to Valparaiso for a 3-game series.
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