BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – On Sunday, the University of Evansville softball team completed the WKU Hilltopper Spring Fling. In the morning game, the Purple Aces fell by a 5-0 score to Akron while the finale saw the squad drop a 9-1 contest to Austin Peay.
Game One Box Score -
Game Two Box Score
Game 1 – Akron 5, UE 0
Akron scored single runs in the third and fourth before adding three in the seventh to open the day with a 5-0 victory over the Purple Aces.
Zoe Frossard picked up a hit in the first inning but that would be the only hit for UE until the bottom of the sixth. In that time, the Zips plated a run in the third and fourth frames to take a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the seventh, Akron added some insurance with three runs crossing the plate. Alexa Davis hit a leadoff single in the seventh before the next three batters were retired to finish the game. Frossard, Davis and Jess Willsey had the hits for UE.
Mikayla Jolly allowed two runs, one earned, in four innings while Elle Jarrett tossed the final three frames and gave up three runs. Haley Croyle took the win for Akron, going six innings and striking out six batters. Molly McChesney paced the Zips offense with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate while scoring twice.
Game 2 – Austin Peay 9, UE 1 (6 innings)
Austin Peay scored nine runs on 12 hits to defeat the Aces by a 9-1 final on Sunday evening. Evansville took the early lead with a run in the second inning. Marah Wood recorded a 1-out single and advance to second on a hit by Jenna Nink. With two outs, Jess Willsey singled up the middle to score Nink.
The lead for UE did not last very long as the Governors came back with a run in the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the third, APSU broke the game open with four runs. Mea Clark had the big hit with a 2-RBI knock. After scoring a run in the fourth, Austin Peay added three more runs in the sixth to finish the game.
Evansville finished the game with eight hits. After scoring their run in the second, UE threatened in the third, putting two runners on with one out. The Aces picked up a single hit in each of the final three innings, but could not get any closer. Wood, Frossard and Nink recorded two hits apiece.
Samantha Miener made the start for the Governors. In the complete game, she gave up one run on eight hits. Sydney Weatherford started in the circle for UE and allowed five runs, just one earned, in 2 2/3 innings. Erin Kleffman tossed 2 2/3 innings with four runs scoring.
In the final non-conference tournament of the season, the Aces travel to Nashville, Tenn. for the Lady Bison Classic next weekend.
