Florey and Renneisen lead UE softball to split on Saturday

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In a full day on the field Saturday, the University of Evansville softball team began the day with a 2-0 win at Valparaiso before the Crusaders finished the day with a 6-2 victory over the Purple Aces.

“It is good to get a split on the day, we gave ourselves a chance to get the series win today,” UE head coach Mat Mundell said.  “Morgan threw outstanding in game one and we were able to get more hits in game two, we just have to find a way to score more runs off of them.”

Morgan Florey and Lindsay Renneisen were the stars in game one as the Purple Aces pulled off a 2-0 victory.  Eryn Gould led the game off with a single down the left field line.  Following a sacrifice bunt by Mea Adams, Lindsay Renneisen approached the plate and delivered her 6th home run of the season to give UE a 2-0 lead.

Pitching was the name of the game from that point on as neither team would see a runner advance to second base until Evansville did so in the top of the 7th.  UE left two runners on to end the frame as the Crusaders were down to their final three outs.  They made a late run, putting runners on first and second with one out.  Florey got the job done from there, notching the final two outs to preserve her 2-hit shutout.  She struck out 11 batters in the complete game win.

After being held off the board in game one, Valparaiso recorded the first four runs of the second tilt.  A Gabby Magnifico single got them on the board in the second before three more scored in the third.  Brittany Anderson had a 2-RBI double in the frame.

Evansville saw its first three runners reach base in the top of the fourth.  With one out, McKenzie Johnson forced a bases loaded walk to plate UE’s first run of the game.  Valpo countered with a pair in the fifth to push their advantage to five runs, but the Aces had one more run left in them.  Brittany Hay led the 7th inning off with a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Florey single to left.

That is where the rally would end as the Crusaders split the doubleheader with a 6-2 win.  Florey notched three hits in the game while Mea Adams posted two.  Tomorrow, the teams take to the field for the rubber match at 11 a.m.