Game 1 Box Score • Game 2 Box Score
SAINT LOUIS—The University of Evansville softball team dropped a pair of games to Saint Louis in its final non-conference series of the season. The Billikens took a 3-1 victory in game one of the doubleheader before posting a 10-2 win in six innings in the nightcap.
The Aces (9-30) will return to James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium this weekend to host a Missouri Valley Conference series with Illinois State.
Game 1: UE 1, Saint Louis 3
The Aces came out swinging to start game one, grabbing three consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs in the top of the first inning. But the threat was ended by SLU starter Kelcie Matesa who sat down the next three batters to escape the inning unharmed.
??Freshman pitcher Taylor Perry managed a quick two outs in the bottom of the frame, but Aly Brand homered to left field to give the Billikens the 1-0 lead before the inning ended.
Saint Louis held the Aces scoreless until the top of the fifth inning. Sophomore Tamara Robey led off the inning with a bunt single before advancing to second on a Billiken fielding error. After moving to third on a groundout, Robey crossed the plate when junior Amy Gaertner sent a sacrifice fly to right field.?
With the score tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Billikens managed to put their leadoff hitter on base due to an Evansville fielding error. SLU went on to load the bases with no outs before Brand came through again with a single down the left side to plate one run. Rachel Faletto followed with an RBI groundout to bring the score to 3-1 before Perry was able to retire the final batter of the inning.
??Senior Jen Stahlhut hit her eleventh double of the season to start the top of the seventh inning. Freshman Katie Sears followed with an infield groundout to advance Stahlhut to third and bring Gaertner to the plate to represent the tying run, but SLU reliever Hannah Huebbe was able to end the threat and pick up the save as the Billikens took game one by a final score of 3-1.??
The Aces were able to put their leadoff batter on base in six of the seven innings in the loss. Evansville talllied seven hits in game one, led by Stahlhut and Sears who each collected two.
??Perry (1-6) was credited with the loss, after giving up just one earned run off three hits in six innings of work in the circle.
Game 2: UE 2, Saint Louis 10 (6 innings)
A leadoff single put Kristin Nicoletti on board for the Billikens in the bottom of the first inning, and a wild pitch later in the inning brought her home to give SLU an early 1-0 lead in the nightcap.
The Aces responded in the top of the second inning, using a two-out rally to string together four consecutive singles and plate two runs. Freshman Niki Raming sparked the rally with an infield single before Robey and sophomore Halie Malone followed suite to load the bases. Stahlhut then cranked a single to centerfield, picking up two RBI as Evansville took a 2-1 lead.
The lead didn’t last long, as SLU answered back with a two-out rally of its own in the bottom of the frame. Two UE errors and a wild pitch were enough to give the Billikens the tying run before Kerri Dockins singled to right field to give Saint Louis a 3-2 advantage.
The Billikens added to their lead in the bottom of the third inning, using four hits and another Evansville error to rack up four more runs to the scoreboard.
The Aces managed another two-out bases loaded situation in the top of the fourth, but Huebbe, entering in relief of SLU starter Julian Austin, was able to shut down the threat.
A solo home run by Kristain Burger in the bottom of the fourth extended SLU’s lead to 8-2. A triple and a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth padded the lead to 9-2 in favor of Saint Louis.
Three singles and a fourth UE error in the bottom of the sixth inning gave Saint Louis its tenth run of the game as the Billikens took the 10-2 mercy rule win.
Robey and Niki Rahming both ended the game 2-for-3 at the plate. Evansville put up eight hits as a team.
Freshman Emily Morris (3-7) took the loss in the circle, giving up two earned runs in two innings pitched.
