EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Evansville softball team’s power behind the bat led them to a 9-1 win in game one versus the Belmont Bruins (8-40) on Thursday at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium. However, the Aces’ (15-25) rally in game two fell just short, as they dropped the second half 6-5.
Evansville 9, Belmont 1 (5 innings)
Three home runs accounted for the Aces’ nine hits in the first game, as the offense carried UE to a five inning 9-1 win. Amy Gaertner and Jen Stahlhut both hit one in the first inning while Jamie Lindauer soared her first of the season over right field in the third.
Kendall Kautz (11-9) notched another complete game after allowing four hits and striking out three. Belmont’s Julie Harmon (0-14) took the loss, as she allowed five hits and six runs in two innings of work.
After Gaertner’s and Stahlhut’s homers put the Aces up 2-0, the Bruins were able to put up a run in the third after Cassie Bollin singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Brooke Babington’s hard-hit single up the middle.
UE’s offensive power came out again in the third with five runs on four hits and an error in the inning. Allison Aguilera opened things with a walk before Lindauer brought her in with her home run. Stahlhut then posted a hit down the right field line and stole second. After Stahlhut got to third on a passed ball, Alicia Betancur earned an extra-base hit to bring the score to 5-1. The Aces continued as Brianna Villanueva singled to advance Betancur and a fielding error on Tamara Robey’s hit brought in the two before her for a 7-1 lead.
The Aces tacked on two more runs in the fourth with Lindauer scoring on a Betancur hit and Stahlhut making it around off of Ashleigh Rahming’s sacrifice fly to end the game 9-1.
Belmont 6, Evansville 5
After being down 3-1, the Aces rallied back in the bottom fifth with four runs to shortly pull ahead. However, the Bruins comeback in the seventh couldn’t be match, and the Aces fell 6-5.
BU’s Devon Schmidt (8-14) continues to hold all of the Bruins’ wins this season, as she gave up seven hits while walking five and striking out four. Maggie Little (0-4) tabbed the loss after coming in as relief for Jen McKee. McKee record four hits and three runs while walking four and retiring two and Little also marked four hits and three runs.
The Bruins opened things up in the second with a run from Sara Bentley coming off of a sacrifice fly. UE answered in the third when Stahlhut’s double to left brought Robey around for the 1-1 tie.
The tie didn’t last when BU’s Bentley added another run in the fourth and Babington scoring in the fifth after getting on base with a walk and eventually coming home on an Ashley Smith single.
UE came out in the fifth with Robey reaching on an error and Lindauer advancing the freshman on a single to right. Stahlhut then hit one to center and Robey came around for a run after a fielding error. A sacrifice fly brought in Lindauer before Krista Price hit her sixth home run of the season to put the score at 5-3 in favor of the Aces.
With four hits to open up the seventh for BU, including a double from Smith for two RBI, the Bruins pulled away to leave UE with a 6-5 win.
The Aces make the trip to Northern Iowa this weekend, as they face off with the Panthers on Saturday with a noon doubleheader and Sunday’s noon game.
