Box Score
DES MOINES, Iowa – The University of Evansville softball team lost a heartbreaking extra-inning game against Drake today, dropping the final game of the series by a score of 7-6 in nine innings.
Senior Jen Stahlhut led off the day with a solo home run over the right field fence to put UE ahead 1-0 in the top of the first inning.
Evansville held off the Bulldogs in the bottom of the first inning, but Drake managed two runs off a pair of singles off freshman starter Taylor Perry the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second.
Drake extended its lead to 4-1 with a two-run home run by Amy Pierce in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Bulldogs struck again in the bottom of the fifth inning, using three hits to push across one more run and increase its lead to 5-1.
In the top of the fifth, senior Kelci Alsip delivered a triple to the left field wall to bring in two Evansville runs and cut the score to 5-3.
Sophomore Brianna Villanueva led off the seventh inning with a pinch-hit double before Alsip belted a sharp ground ball to force a Drake fielding error and allow Villanueva to cross the plate. Trailing 5-4, Stahlhut hit single up the middle before sophomore Alicia Betancur followed with a single of her own to score pinch-runner Katie Sears and even the score at 5-5. Freshman Kacey Rogers put UE ahead 6-5, sending a ball to left field to score Stahlhut.
Drake refused to lay down easy, as Jenna Delong led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a solo home run off UE reliever Emily Morris. Sophomore Kendall Kautz was called from the bullpen to shut down the inning. With two outs on the board and bases loaded, Jordan Gronewold worked a 3-1 count at the plate, but Kautz got her to pop up to centerfield to end the rally and take the game into extra innings.
The score remained tied until the bottom of the ninth inning when Drake was able to put runners at second and third with one out in the inning. Molly McClelland laid down a perfectly placed suicide bunt to score the final run and give Drake the 7-6 win.
Kautz was credited with the tough-luck loss, allowing just two hits in her 2.1 innings of relief work.
Stahlhut ended the day 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and a pair of runs scored. As a team Evansville collected 10 hits on the day and was errorless in the field.
The Aces drop to 7-25 on the season and 1-8 in Missouri Valley Conference play. UE will return to action, hosting a double-header against Missouri on Wednesday.
