EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Evansville freshman Ashtyn Holbrook hit the first two home runs of her collegiate career to help the Purple Aces softball team defeat Illinois State in walk-off fashion on Saturday at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.
 
Holbrook went 3-4 with three RBI as UE earned an 8-7 victory over the Redbirds. Jess Willsey, Niki Bode, Taylor Howe, and Brooke Voss posted two hits apiece as the Aces recorded 11 hits in the victory. UE trailed by a 7-4 margin entering the bottom of the seventh before rallying for the victory. Holbrook's home run tied it up before Angela Valentine scored the winning run on an ISU error.
 
Illinois State looked to take an early advantage with a leadoff double in the top of the second. UE starting pitcher Kate Ridgway pitched out of the jam unscathed. In the bottom of the inning, the Aces put forth their first threat of the day. After Niki Bode was hit by a pitch, Jess Willsey and Ashtyn Holbrook posted singles to load the bases with no outs. Emma McDonald's sacrifice fly brought home the first run of the afternoon.
 
The Redbirds followed up by loading the bases with no outs to open the third. They would tie the game on a walk, however, Ridgway struck out the next two before a line out limited the damage and kept the game knotted at 1-1. Helped by a Morgan Calhoun 2-run shot, ISU scored four runs in the top of the fourth.
 
Ashtyn Holbrook's first collegiate home run got UE one run closer in the bottom of the fourth. One inning later, Hannah Meshnick hit a 2-run homer to extend the Redbird lead. UE got one of those runs back on a Morgan Adams sacrifice fly that made it a 7-3 game entering the sixth.
 
Taylor Howe's single to right field made it a 3-run game in the bottom of the sixth as UE continued to battle back. That continued in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Niki Bode reached on a single with Addyson Leonard entering to pinch run. Leonard crossed the plate on a Jess Willsey double to cut the deficit to two. That brought Holbrook to the plate who launched her second homer of the game to tie the score.
 
With two outs, Voss reached on an error to bring Howe to the plate. She reached on an error before a second ISU error allowed the game-winning run to score. Sophia Otten earned her first collegiate win. She threw to scoreless innings.
 
UE returns to action on Tuesday at Louisville before a 3-game series at Belmont next weekend.