UE drops both contests against Panthers
The bats for the University of Evansville opened the day strong, belting two home runs, but UNI fended off the challenge as they swept Sunday’s doubleheader against the Purple Aces softball team.
UNI (15-13, 6-2 MVC) started the day with an 11-6 win. UE (12-19, 2-6 MVC) mustered up eight hits in the game with Halie Fain picking up two. Bailee Bostic’s grand slam highlighted the scoring while Lindsay Renneisen added a homer of her own.
With one out in the top of the first, Eryn Gould singled down the left field line to bring up Renneisen, who hit a long ball to left, giving UE the early 2-0 lead. The Panthers came right back with two runs in the bottom of the first and three more in the second. Sammey Bunch had a 3-run shot in the inning.
Facing their first deficit of the day, the Aces went back on top in the third when Bostic connected on a 2-out grand slam to make it a 6-5 game. Haley Woolf, Mackenzie McFeron and Fain scored on the play. McFeron and Fain singled in the frame while Woolf reached on a walk. The score remained in favor of Evansville until the bottom of the fifth when a 5-spot by UNI gave them the lead for good. A 3-run shot by Courtney Krodinger was the difference. The Panthers added one more in the sixth as they finished with the 11-6 win.
Izzy Vetter went five innings in the circle. She gave up 10 earned runs on 10 hits. Jaime Nurrenbern gave up one run in an inning of work. Erica Oler, who went four innings of relief, took the win.
Evansville finished with three hits in game two as Renneisen, Mea Adams and Toni Galas found their way on base.  Renneisen and Adams had 2-out singles in the first and second frames, but were unable to convert. UNI scored first, plating a run in the first before tacking on three more in the third. A pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth frames saw the Panthers finish with an 8-0 win in five innings.
Bunch was the star for UNI once again, going a perfect 4-4 with four RBI and a run scored. She had four of the Panthers 12 hits. Emily Lockhart threw the first four innings for the Aces while Ashleigh Downing went 1/3. Jaclyn Spencer got the win for UNI, allowing three hits in five innings while fanning eight.
Up next for UE is a 3-game series at Southern Illinois. The Aces and Salukis meet up next weekend in Carbondale.
