COLUMBIA, Mo.— The University of Evansville softball team kept No. 11 Missouri on its toes early, but a big fifth inning from the Tigers (33-8) pulled them away from the Aces (14-24) 8-0 in five innings.

Kendall Kautz (10-9) earned the start and gave up two hits and one run while walking one. Jen McKee then came in during the fourth to give up three hits and six runs with only one earned. Maggie Little faced one batter in the fifth for a run. Missouri’s Jana Hainey (6-0) took the win after allowing hits from Amy Gaertner and Brianna Villanueva and striking out four and walking two.

Both teams held each other scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when Missouri took a 1-0 lead. UE senior Jamie Lindauer helped keep the inning with only one run, as she stole a home run from Gina Schnieder over the center field wall at the first at-bat. Rhea Taylor then stepped up to hit a single to left before stealing second and moving to third on a groundout. Jenna Marston the hit a double to right to bring Taylor in for the run.

The Tigers continued in the fourth, as Nicole Hudson singled and reached second on an Aces’ error. Pinch runner Princess Krebs then came in and got to third on a groundout before scoring on a Marla Schweisberger out to put the score at 2-0. Mizzou put six more runs in the fifth off of three hits and two errors, including Michaele Vock’s two-run home run to end the game 8-0.

The Aces return to the field on Thursday in their last home midweek match with a 3 p.m. doubleheader against Belmont at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium.