Box Score

NORMAL, Ill. –  The University of Evansville softball team won the opening game of this weekend’s three-game series against Illinois State, winning tonight’s opener by a score of 2-1.

Sophomore Taylor Perry was given the win in the circle, improving to 2-5 on the season after tossing 4.1 innings of work tonight. Junior Sarah Patterson earned her first save of the season, picking up four strikeouts in the final 2.2 innings of the game.

As a team, Evansville put six hits on the board and was flawless in the field. Freshman Kayla Fortner finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate, notching two singles and a run batted in. Senior Amy Gaertner tallied the Aces’ other RBI.

The Aces (10-22) will return to the field tomorrow to finish the series with a doubleheader beginning at noon.

Game Recap:
Both teams were held scoreless through the first two innings of play, but the Aces were able to string together three singles and a walk to score two runs and take a 2-0 lead in the top of the third. Junior Brianna Villanueva worked a full-count walk before advancing to second on a single by sophomore Katie Sears. With two outs on the board, Fortner and Gaertner came through with back-to-back singles to bring home both Villanueva and Sears.

Perry scattered just four hits as she kept the Redbirds from scoring through the first four frames. But a triple off the bat of Kara Repp followed a single by Lindsey Greene to start the bottom of the fifth was enough to cut the Aces’ lead in half. With the score at 2-1, Patterson entered the game in relief of Perry, retiring both batters she faced to shut down the Redbirds’ rally.

With the Aces still leading in the bottom of the seventh, the Redbirds threatened a comeback as Laura Canopy hit a one out single to put the tying runner on board. But Patterson quickly sat down the next two batters to end the game and clinch the win.