• Game 1 Box Score
• Game 2 Box Score
LORMAN, Miss. -- The University of Evansville softball team opened the 2012 season with a pair of wins over Alcorn State today. The Aces' offense exploded for a 13-0 (6) run-rule victory in game one before turning around to take the nightcap by a score of 10-1 (5). Junior transfer
Sarah Patterson grabbed the complete-game shutout in the first game, allowing just one hit and picking up seven strikeouts as she notched her first career victory as a Purple Aces. Junior
Kendall Kautz was equally as impressive in game two, going the distance while scattering five hits and three strikeouts as the Aces secured the sweep.
The Aces (2-0) will return to action this weekend as they host UMKC, Detroit and Butler in a round robin invitational at Cooper Stadium. UE’s first game is slated for Saturday at 2:30 p.m. against Detroit.
Game 1: UE 13, Alcorn State 0 (6 innings)
Starting out scoreless through the first three innings, the Aces soon exploded for 13 runs in the final three innings to post a run-rule victory in game one. Senior
Amy Gaertner scored the first run of the season, crossing the plate on a double by Kautz after reaching base on an infield error. Kautz moved to third on another Alcorn State error before junior
Halie Malone hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to bring in the second run of the inning.
With the 2-0 lead, junior
Tamara Robey led off the fifth inning with a walk before a double by junior Alicia Betancur advanced her home. The Aces went on to score three more runs before the inning ended, two of which came in off a single by freshman
Kayla Fortner.
The Aces didn’t stop at a 6-0 lead, but instead went on to erupt with a seven-run sixth inning, putting up seven hits as they batted once through the lineup. Sophomore
Niki Rahming led off with a single to left field before Robey followed with a double to put runners at third and second. Freshman
Victoria Dellorto came through with a single through the left side, scoring Rahming and Robey. Back-to-back singles by Betancur and Gaertner loaded the bases for the Aces before a pair of consecutive walks pushed two more runs across the plate. Gaertner came home on a passed ball to increase UE’s lead to 10-0 and force an Alcorn State pitching change. Sophomore
Kacey Rogers and Dellorto tacked on two more singles to bring in the final two runs of the game.
Patterson (1-0) earned the win on the mound, throwing all six innings of the shutout.
Game 2: UE 10, Alcorn State 1 (5)
In the nightcap, the Aces’ offense picked up right where they left off in game one, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead in the second inning. Fortner hit a single up the middle to spark a two-out rally. Malone followed with a triple to right field to score Fortner before coming home herself off a single by Niki Rahming.
In the top of the third, Kautz tacked on another run to the lead with her second double of the day, scoring Gaertner who had led off the inning with a walk.
In the bottom of the third, Alcorn State answered with it’s only run of the day, stringing together a pair of singles to score pinch runner Ayana Allen with two outs on the board. The Aces were able to hold the Braves to one run, though, as a fly out to Gaertner at short closed the inning.
Leading 3-1 at the top of the fourth inning, Dellorto and Gaertner used back-to-back singles and a pair of stolen bases to put two runners in scoring position. A passed ball allowed Dellorto to score before a hit by pitch and a loaded the bases again. Betancur then belted a double to bring in all three baserunners, pushing the score to 7-1. Fortner followed with a two-out single to bring in Betancur before the inning ended with the Aces leading 8-1.
Niki Rahming bunted for a single to lead off the top of the fifth before Alcorn State walked Dellorto to put two runners on. Gaertner came through with a two-run single, bringing in Dellorto and Rahming to count as the final two runs of the game.
Kautz pitched all five innings for the Aces to take the win, allowing five hits and three strikeouts in 19 batters faced.
