Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa—The University of Evansville softball team opened the Missouri Valley Conference season with a pair of losses against Northern Iowa today. The Aces dropped an 8-1 decision in the first game of the day before suffering an 8-0 run-rule loss in the second half of the doubleheader.

Frehsman Kayla Fortner and junior Halie Malone led UE at the plate, both batting 2-for-4 with a pair of singles on the day.

The Aces (7-13) will return to Robinsen Dresser Field to wrap up the three-game series with the Panthers with a single game tomorrow at noon.

Game 1: UE 1, UNI 8
Two walks and a single in the bottom of the second set the Panthers up with a bases-loaded situation with Mackenzie Daigh at the plate.  Daigh came through as advertised,  delivering with a two-out grand slam to put UNI on the board with a 4-0 lead.  

The Aces chipped away at the lead in the top of the third, when a single down the left field line off the bat of Fortner scored freshman Victoria Dellorto, who had reached base on a walk earlier in the inning.

But the Panthers struck again in the bottom of the frame, using two singles and a walk to load the bases again. This time Whitney Plein came through for UNI, singling to left field to bring home two runs for Northern Iowa, pushing the score to 6-1.

The Panthers’ lead was extended to 7-1 in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out home run by Laura Turner. Northern Iowa added its final run in the bottom of the sixth, as Daigh, who had reached base on an infield error, crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Courtney Dunker.

Junior Sarah Patterson was tagged with the loss, dropping to 4-6 in the circle. Patterson allowed seven earned runs in her five innings of work, giving up eight hits while fanning six batters.

Game 2: UE 0, UNI 8 (5 innings)
The Panthers wasted no time in game two of the doubleheader, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead with a two-run homer by Gina Brown in the bottom of the first.

UE starter Kendall Kautz held the Panthers hitless in the second and the third, but Northern Iowa managed a two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth, putting runners on the corners with a single, a stolen base and a walk. Melissa Walls and Hailey Kreiner then put together back-to-back triples to add three runs on the board. Turner followed with a right-field single, allowing Daigh to cross the plate and give UNI a 6-0 lead going into the top of the fifth.

The Panthers were able to string three hits together in the bottom of the fifth to secure the run-rule win, scoring the final two runs of the game off a double by Plein.

Kautz (1-4) took the loss in the circle, giving up eight hits while striking out three. s