EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Late home runs from Emma McDonald and Maliyah Wilkins sealed a 5-1 victory for the University of Evansville softball team over Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday afternoon at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.
 
Wilkins, McDonald, and Niki Bode each recorded two hits in the game. Bode added two runs and a walk. Kate Ridgway had a strong outing in the circle. Tossing all seven innings, Ridgway allowed one run on four hits while striking out seven. She earned her 8^th win of the season.
 
Recording four hits in the first inning, the Purple Aces took a 2-0 lead. Brooke Voss and Taylor Howe opened with singles before Voss scored the first run of the day on a Niki Bode single. Bode made it a 2-0 game when she scored on a Morgan Adams fielder's choice.
 
The score remained 2-0 until the top of the fourth when SEMO cut the lead in half. A solo home run by Raigan Brannon made it a 2-1 game. UE added some important insurance with two home runs in the bottom of the fifth. Emma McDonald's solo shot made it a 3-1 game. With two outs, Bode reached on her second single of the day to being Maliyah Wilkins to the plate.
 
Wilkins delivered a 2-run home run to deep center field to make it a 5-1 game. From there, Ridgway got the job done allowing two baserunners in the final two innings before finishing with the complete game victory.
 
On Wednesday, the Aces are back home to face Western Kentucky at 5 p.m.