DES MOINES, Iowa – Scoring seven runs in the first two innings, Northern Iowa finished with a 10-2 win over the University of Evansville softball team on Thursday evening at Buel Field on the second day of the Missouri Valley Conference Championship.
Box Score
UNI got on the board when Kate Lappe hit a 3-run home run in the bottom of the first. The Purple Aces immediately responded in the top of the second. Jess Willsey hit a leadoff double before the hero from UE's opening game – Eliza Piggott approached the plate with two outs. She came through once again, hitting a 2-run shot to center to make it a 3-2 game.
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Just as fast as the Aces got back into it, the Panthers responded with a 4-run bottom of the second. Addison McElrath hit a 2-run shot as UNI took a 7-2 lead.
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Evansville looked to cut into the deficit in the top half of the third as Niki Bode and Morgan Adams both reached on 1-out walks. A double play would end the threat and the Panthers added their 8
th run in the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the fifth, Northern Iowa scored two runs on wild pitches to finish with the 10-2 win.
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Six players recorded a hit for the Aces while Willsey and Piggott scored the runs. Kate Ridgway made the start, going 1 1/3 innings while Elle Jarrett threw the final three frames. She struck out four batters.
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