• Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind.—With the University of Evansville softball team climbing back to a one-run deficit and two outs remaining in the seventh inning, sophomore Amy Gaertner put down a double to bring in the winning run for UE, as the Aces (7-12, 2-3) defeated Missouri State (6-19, 1-3) 5-4 at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium Friday night.

“I’m really proud of the way our girls competed all the way through,” said Evansville head coach Mark Redburn. “This was a really exciting win for us. When we fell behind, they didn’t just roll over. They kept chipping away and got the win.”

For Evansville, freshman Elizabeth Grover (1-4) earned her first win as she came in to relieve Kendall Kautz. Grover held the Bears scoreless in three innings of work and allowed three runs while striking out two. Senior Krista Price and junior Jen Stahlhut both went 2-for-4 at the plate with Price earning a run and Stahlhut posting a RBI. Missouri State’s Christa Gammon went 3-for-4 with one double while Natalie Rose (1-7) gave up six hits and three runs while striking out two.

UE got on the board early in the bottom of the first as Price hit a double to right field and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Alicia Betancur then hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Price and go up 1-0. The Bears answered quickly in the second, as a three-run homer from pinch hitter Caitlin Chapin to left field put the visitors ahead 3-1.

Missouri State continued its offense in the third with a Jenna Schwark solo shot over left center to increase the Bears lead 4-1. After holding the Aces’ bats silent for three innings, doubles from Price and Stahlhut would allow Grover to score after she walked in her first at-bat. The rally kept going in the sixth with Maggie Little stepping in as a pinch hitter and powering a homer over left.

Down 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Stahlhut got things started with a single to right. A two-base shot from Allison Aguilera brought in pinch runner Tamara Robey to home while Gaertner’s double at the next at-bat put pinch runner Brianna Villanueva with the winning run.

The Aces and the Bears meet again on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon at Cooper Stadium.