Aces take 7-4 win over Ramblers
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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A 5-run fifth inning made the difference on Sunday as the University of Evansville softball team earned a 7-4 victory over Loyola to clinch its first Missouri Valley Conference series of the 2021 season.
Evansville (13-7, 2-1 MVC) picked up six hits on the day but saw seven different players record a walk. Jenna Lis was 2-4 with her second home run of the season and three RBI while Eryn Gould launched her second homer of the weekend. Izzy Vetter picked up her seventh win of the season, fanning 10 batters in six frames. She gave up just two hits.
Vetter was locked in to begin the game, striking out the first seven Loyola (5-13, 1-2 MVC) batters. The first hit of the game was a big one in the third when the Ramblers got on the board with a solo home run from Caitlin Engleking. Evansville’s first big scoring opportunity came in the bottom half of the third when the Aces loaded the bases on three walks, but could not push the tying run across the plate.
In the fourth, Evansville’s offense came through. After Marah Wood reached on a walk, Jenna Lis connected on her second home run of the season to put the Aces on top – 2-1. One inning later, the bats were right back at it. Halie Fain led off with a walk before Eryn Gould drilled her fifth home run of the season to make it a 4-1 game. Jenna Lis added an RBI hit down the left field line before two more runs scored on an error. In total, the Aces scored five runs in the frame to extend the lead to 7-1.
Loyola made a furious rally, hitting a 2-run homer in the 6th before adding two baserunners with no outs. Vetter regrouped and recorded three consecutive outs to preserve the 4-run lead. The Ramblers scored once in the seventh, but could get no closer with the Aces earning the series win with a 7-4 decision.
Caitlin Engelking and Madison Ebeling posted two hits apiece for LUC.
Next up for Evansville is a 5 p.m. contest against SIU Edwardsville on Wednesday inside Cooper Stadium.
