Series to be decided on Sunday at noon
Chandra Parr was a perfect 3-for-3 while Morgan Florey drove in all five runs and pitched the complete game to lead the University of Evansville softball team to a 5-3 win over Illinois State in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader. The Redbirds took a 2-1 win in eight innings to even the series in the second game.
The opening game saw Florey hit a pair of home runs to drive in all five for the Aces (17-20, 5-9 MVC). She also pitched all seven innings. Illinois State (13-25, 5-7 MVC) finished the day with an 8-inning triumph to tie the series heading into Sunday’s noon game that will decide the series.
“There were two great battles today, I am proud of the way our girls are embracing our philosophy of playing pitch-by-pitch,†Aces head coach Mat Mundell said. “Both pitchers did tremendous jobs in both games. I am extremely proud of Amanda (Blankenship), today may have been her best game for the Purple Aces.â€
Florey got the job done in the circle and on the offensive side as the Aces grabbed a 5-3 win in game one. She went the distance, pitching seven innings and striking out six while she went 2-3 with two home runs and five RBIs. Assisting in that effort was Chandra Parr, who was a perfect 3-3 with two runs scored.
Courtney Land opened up the top of the third with a double to right and moved to third on a Parr single. Next up was Florey, whose home run put the Aces on the board and gave them a 3-0 lead. Illinois State responded with single runs in the third and fifth frames as the Aces remained on top, 3-2, heading into the top of the seventh.
Another Parr single put a runner on for Florey, who hit her second homer of the game to get some breathing room. The Redbirds threatened in the bottom of the seventh, scoring one run and putting batters on second and third with one out. Florey was able to get the final two outs and seal the win.
A pitcher’s duel ensued in the second game as the first 3 ½ innings were scoreless. That changed in the bottom of the fourth as an RBI single put ISU on the board. The Redbirds were primed for a big inning in the fifth, but left the bases loaded. That opened the door for UE in the top half of the 7th as Kristin Koepke led the inning off with a home run to left-center to tie the game at 1-1.
The contest headed to extra innings knotted at 1-1. After a scoreless top of the frame, ISU struck as a Shannon Felde single was the winning hit in the 2-1 final. Amanda Blankenship had a stellar pitching effort, going seven innings, allowing just one run on five hits. Regan Romshek did the pitching for the Redbirds, going the full 8 frames.
