University of Evansville Athletics

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Friday's doubleheader saw Valparaiso defeat the University of Evansville softball team in a pair of games at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium. UE dropped a 13-3 game to open the day before Valpo took game two by a final score of 7-1.
 
Game 1 – Valpo 13, UE 3
Helped by an 8-run fifth inning, Valparaiso took the opener by a final score of 13-3 in five innings.
 
Valparaiso opened the scoring with a single run in the top of the 2^nd. With one out, the Purple Aces rallied in the bottom of the frame. Jess Willsey, Ashtyn Holbrook, and Emma McDonald each singled to load the bases to bring Keghan Pye to the plate. On the 12^th pitch of her at-bat, Pye reached on an error that scored two runs. UE tacked on another run to take a 3-1 lead.
 
In the top of the fourth, the Beacons regained the lead with four runs on two hits to go up 5-3 before putting the finishing touches on the win with an 8-run fifth. The Beacons posted 13 runs on eight hits and nine walks.
 
Kate Ridgway took the loss allowing nine runs in four innings. Sydney McDermott threw the full five frames for Valpo giving up three runs on four hits. Four different players recorded hits for UE including Niki Bode, Willsey, Holbrook, and McDonald.
 
Game 2 – Valpo 7, UE 1
Valpo scored the first five runs of game two before finishing with a 7-1 victory. Just as they did in the opener, the Beacons jumped on top early as they scored twice in the top of the 1^st before adding two more in the top of the 2^nd.
 
Evansville had its first scoring chance in the bottom of the 3^rd when Emma McDonald and Keghan Pye led off with singles. Unfortunately, three quick outs ended the threat. After Valpo added a run in the top of the 4^th, the Aces got on the board with their first run of the game in the bottom of the 5^th. Brooke Voss' triple to right field brought in McDonald who walked to lead off the inning.
 
The Beacons added two more scores in the top of the 7^th to finalize the 7-1 victory. Azalya Lopez picked up the win for VU allowing one run on five hits. Alexis Tucker was tagged with the loss allowing seven runs, three earned, in seven innings. UE had five hits in the game with Brooke Voss going 2-4.
 
Saturday's series finale begins at 2 p.m. with Senior Day festivities set to begin roughly 20 minutes before the game.