UE wraps up the regular season next weekend
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – After scoring the first five runs of the game, Illinois State finished the day with a 7-3 victory over the University of Evansville softball team on Sunday afternoon at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium.
Weather impacted the contest on multiple occasions with the start of the game delayed by one hour before play was halted in the bottom of the first for nearly another hour. The scoring for the Purple Aces came from the long ball with Alexa Davis launching a 2-run shot and Hannah Hood adding a solo home run in the 6th.
With one out in the bottom of the first, the game was delayed for a second time due to weather. When the teams returned to the field, the Redbirds pounced with three runs in the top of the second. Highlighting the inning for ISU was a 2-run homer by Brandi LaFountaine.
Evansville had a few chances early in the contest with Jenna Nink picking up a triple in the second before the team loaded the bases in the third, however, Illinois State got out of both frames unscathed. The Redbirds added two scores in the fourth to extend their advantage to 5-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, Evansville got on the board when Alexa Davis hit a 2-run home run with one out. Jess Willsey reached on a single to bring up Davis, who connected to deep center field to make it a 3-run game. The Aces had two more runners reach before ISU picked up the final out.
Illinois State fought right back as Dayna Kennedy launched a 2-run home run to center as the lead was pushed back to five runs. Hannah Hood got UE one run closer with a solo shot to left field in the bottom of the 6th. The Aces continued to fight through the inning, loading the bases with two outs before a strikeout kept the ISU lead at 7-3. Down to the final three outs, UE added another hit but could not get any closer with the game wrapping up at 7-3.
As a team, Evansville registered 11 hits with Illinois State posting eight. Marah Wood extended her hit streak to 12 games. \ In the circle, Sydney Weatherford gave up five runs, four earned, in four innings. She suffered her 10th loss of the season. Hannah Ross recorded her second win of the weekend with 4 2/3 innings of 2-run ball.
Regular season play comes to a close next weekend when the Aces travel to Northern Iowa for three games.
