LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Facing a Louisville team that is receiving votes in the national polls this week, the University of Evansville softball team battled to the finish before the Cardinals finished with a 5-4 win in eight innings at Ulmer Stadium.
 
Evansville led throughout the first 5 ½ innings before a 3-run sixth saw Louisville take its first lead. Maliyah Wilkins' 2-run home run tied the game in the top of the 7^th before UofL scored the winning run in the eighth.
 
Morgan Adams was a perfect 3-3 in the game while Brooke Voss was 2-4 with a home run, two runs, and an RBI. Kate Ridgway threw two innings with one run scoring. Alexis Tucker tossed 3 1/3 inning while Sophia Otten was in the circle for the final two frames.
 
Voss got things started in a big way as she launched a leadoff home run to deep left field to give UE a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Niki Bode hit a double to left center to bring home Maliyah Wilkins to make it a 2-0 game.
 
The Cardinals left two runners on base in both the first and second innings before getting their first run across in the third. A sacrifice fly cut the Purple Aces lead in half, however, the damage could have been more but smart defense by Evansville caught a Louisville runner trying to advance to third.
 
UE continued to hold the lead until the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Ava Venturelli's 2-run double gave the Cardinals their first lead of the night. Louisville added one more to go up 4-2.
 
Down to its final three outs, Evansville fought right back in the top half of the seventh. With two outs and a runner on, Maliyah Wilkins homered to center field to tie the game. The contest remained tied until the bottom of the eighth when the Cardinals opened with a single. Following a sacrifice, Bri Despines hit the game-winner to give Louisville the 5-4 win.