Game 1
Game 2
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- The University of Evansville softball team split with Murray State in tonight’s doubleheader at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium. The Racers slipped by with an 8-5 win in the first game before the Aces could come back to notch an 8-5 victory in the nightcap.
As a team, UE collected 20 hits on the night. Junior Amy Gaertner led the Aces at the plate, going 4-for-7 with a two-run home run. Senior Kelci Alsip finished the night going 4-for-8 at the plate, posting a pair of two-hit games against the Racers.
The Aces (7-22) will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, this weekend for a three-game series with Drake. The Bulldogs (17-11) currently lead the Missouri Valley Conference with a perfect 5-0 record in Valley play. The Aces will face Drake in a doubleheader Saturday before wrapping up the series with a single game Sunday.
Game 1: UE 3, Murray State 7
Trailing 2-1 in the top of the third, the Aces committed three defensive errors to help Murray State add two more runs as the Racers took a 4-1 lead in the third frame.
Stephanie Edwards hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth to increase the Racers’ lead to 5-1 before Murray State went on to add two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh.
UE threatened a seventh-inning comeback, scoring two runs before loading the bases to bring the tying run to the plate, but Murray State closer Kristen Broadway was able to shut down the rally and pick up her first save of the season as the Racers took the 7-3 win.
The Aces tallied eight hits in the loss while stranding 12 runners on base. Alsip and Gaertner each went 2-for-4 at the plate. Freshman Kacey Rogers hit her second double of the season.
Junior Maggie Little (2-6) took the loss on the mound, throwing all seven innings in her first complete game appearance of the season. Little gave up five earned runs off six hits while picking up one strikeout.
Game 2: UE 8, Murray State 5
Senior Jen Stahlhut put UE ahead 1-0 with a leadoff home run to right field in the bottom of the first inning.
Freshman starter Emily Morris held the Racers to one hit over the first three innings, but Murray State strung together five consecutive hits in the top of the fourth, including a home run by Lauren Buch, to take a 3-1 lead.
Murray State was able to add to its lead when a one-out sacrifice fly from Jenna Bradley plated the Racers’ fourth run of the nightcap.
The Aces answered back in the bottom of the fifth inning, belting five hits to spark a six-run two-out rally. Gaertner blasted her fourth home run of the season, giving UE the 5-4 lead before Rogers notched her first career home run. Rogers’ homer hit off the left field foul post to bring in two more runs and give the Aces the 7-4 lead going into the top of the sixth.
Two leadoff singles in the bottom of the sixth inning put two UE runners in scoring position. Alsip delivered her fourth hit of the night to score freshman Niki Rahming from third base to push the Aces’ lead to 8-4 going into the top of the seventh.
Madysen Wilson led off the seventh inning with a solo home run for the Racers, cutting the Aces’ lead to 8-5, but sophomore reliever Kendall Kautz was able to retire the next three batters of the frame, giving UE the split with an 8-5 final score over the Racers.
Kautz (3-4) picked up the win in the circle, surrendering just two hits in 3.0 innings of relief. Morris tossed the first four innings of the game, picking up two strikeouts in the start.
