Haley Woolf hit a pair of home runs to lead the University of Evansville softball team to a doubleheader split against Indiana State on Wednesday evening inside Cooper Stadium.
Woolf hit a homer in each game, accounting for UE’s (13-23, 3-10 MVC) run in the opener and a big insurance run in the second. Eryn Gould had an excellent doubleheader, posting three hits in five trips to the plate. She also walked twice on the day.
Indiana State (14-24, 2-11 MVC) got on the board first to start the afternoon in game one, plating two in the top of the first while sending eight batters to the plate. Evansville had a pair of baserunners in the first and second innings, but could not get on the board. That changed in the bottom of the third when Haley Woolf hit a 2-out solo home run to left-center.
In the top of the fifth, ISU got the run back on an RBI single by Brooke Mann, but UE threatened again in the bottom of the frame. Toni Galas reached on a walk before Eryn Gould singled to left. The duo advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Halie Fain, but two quick outs got the Sycamores out of the jam unscathed. ISU took advantage of the missed chance by UE when they added singles runs in both the sixth and seventh. That is where the scoring would be completed as ISU took the 5-1 win. Evansville posted five hits with Galas notching two of them.
Riding the momentum from their game one win, the Sycamores wasted little time getting on the board in the second contest when Leslie Sims led the game off with an inside-the-park home run. Eryn Gould got the run right back for the Aces in the bottom of the first as she hit her team-leading seventh home run to tie it up.
That was just the start for the Aces, who sent eight runners to the plate in the inning while plating four runs. McKenzie Johnson added a sacrifice fly while Katie McLean and Allison Daggett each recorded an RBI single. The pitchers took control at that point and the game remained 4-1 in favor of UE until the bottom of the fifth when Haley Woolf picked up her second home run of the doubleheader, a solo shot, extending the advantage.
The Sycamores got a little closer in the top of the sixth, scoring a pair to make it a 5-3 contest. UE did not allow the momentum to last for long. In the bottom of the inning, McLean led off with her second hit of the game. Pinch runner Mackenzie McFeron would score on a Jessica Fehr double to left-center. That would complete the scoring with the Aces finishing with the 6-3 triumph. Gould and McLean each registered two hits apiece.
Starter Izzy Vetter went the distance, giving up three runs on six hits on the way to her seventh win of the year.
A 3-game set against Bradley is up next this weekend. The Aces host the Braves for a noon doubleheader on Saturday with Sunday’s finale slated for an 11 a.m. start.
