FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
Aces tie series with 2-0 shutout over Salukis
Rubber match set for Sunday at 12 p.m.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Gracie Hollingsworth threw a 6-hit complete game shutout to lead the University of Evansville softball team to a 2-0 win over Southern Illinois at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium.
In the effort, Hollingsworth struck out four and did not record a walk in seven frames. The Purple Aces accumulated seven hits in the game with Taylor Howe going 2-3 with two runs. Kynadee Warner also had two hits.
A leadoff triple got the day going for SIU, but Hollingsworth pitched out of the jam as she recorded three quick outs. The offense countered with a run in the bottom of the inning. Taylor Howe and Niki Bode reached on singles before Howe scored on a sacrifice fly by Morgan Adams.
Hollingsworth continued to keep the Salukis off the board and the offense came through with its second run of the game in the bottom of the 5th. Howe hit a leadoff single before stealing second and moving to third on a Zoe Frossard sacrifice. Niki Bode brought her win with a double off the left field wall.
From there, Hollingsworth finished the game on the way to her 8th victory of the season.
Evansville looks for the series win on Sunday with the finale set for a noon first pitch.
Trailblazers drop regular season finale doubleheader at Danville Area C.C.
DANVILLE, Ill. – The Vincennes University baseball team closed out the 2025 Spring regular season Saturday afternoon with the final two games of the weekend Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) series against Danville Area Community College.
The Blazers headed to Danville, Ill. for the final two games of the regular season and ended up coming out on the wrong end of a 6-5 final score in game one before falling in the regular season finale 10-2 to the Jaguars.
The day got off to another slow start for the Vincennes offense as once again both pitchers were dealing on the mound early.
Danville Area was the first to break onto the scoreboard, plating a run in the first to take an early 1-0 lead.
VU would get onto the scoreboard in the fifth after a leadoff single by sophomore Brody Fessel (DePauw, Ind.), followed by a walk by freshman Jevan Andrews (Hobart, Ind.) and an RBI single by sophomore Nate Montgomery (Lexington, Ind.) to even the score at 1-1.
The Trailblazers would grab their first lead of the day in the sixth inning with a big four-run inning led by the first six VU batters reaching base safely.
VU opened the inning with a leadoff single by sophomore Corbin Napier (Indianapolis, Ind.), followed by a walk by freshman Evan Doran (Indianapolis, Ind.) and a single by sophomore Noble Johnson (Terre Haute, Ind.) to load the bases.
Vincennes would take the lead on a two-RBI double by Brody Fessel, his second of three times reaching base safely in the game.
The Blazers would keep the inning going with Johnson scoring on a wild pitch and Fessel scoring the fourth run of the inning on a Danville fielding error put in play by sophomore Bradyn Douglas (Frankton, Ind.).
The Trailblazers ended the strong inning with a 5-1 lead over the Jaguars, which Danville Area immediately answered with a four-run inning of their own to even the game at 5-5 going to the seventh.
Danville Area carried this momentum into the seventh inning where the Jaguars came away with a run to pick up the walk-off 6-5 victory over the Blazers in game one of the day.
Sophomore Colton Okes (Evansville, Ind.) got the start on the mound for the Trailblazers in game one of the day, throwing two and two-thirds innings, allowing one run on six hits.
Freshman Ryan Rayburn (Columbus, Ind.) was the first out of the bullpen in game one, throwing three innings, allowing four runs on six hits and striking out one.
Freshman Grayson Reichert (Shepherdsville, Ky.) came in for the Blazers to pitch the final inning of relief for VU, allowing one unearned run on one hit.
The Trailblazers chose to rest many of their regular starters in game two while Danville Area continued to play their regular starting lineup.
The Jaguars continued their momentum from game one into game two, scoring four runs in the first inning and adding another run in the second to take an early 5-0 lead.
Vincennes would get on the scoreboard in the regular season finale in the third after freshman Ryan Robinson (Mooresville, Ind.) led off the inning with a double and later scored by stealing home to cut the VU deficit to 5-1.
Danville Area would get this run back and more by responding with a pair of runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to increase their lead to 9-1.
VU would answer back in the sixth after freshman Jakob Hoyer (Georgetown, Ind.) led off the inning by reaching on a fielding error, followed by a walk by freshman Maddox Ray (Bedford, Ind.), which second time reaching safely.
After the Jaguars intentionally walked sophomore Damon Kay (Spencer, Ind.), freshman Brady Cloyd (Connersville, Ind.) drove in a VU run with a bases loaded walk to cut the Danville lead to 9-2.
The Trailblazers continued to battle into the late innings but were unable to hold the Jaguars off the scoreboard late as Danville Area scored a run in the eighth to pick up another walk-off win over the Trailblazers, taking game two of the day 10-2.
Freshman Wyatt Burris (Farmland, Ind.) got the start for the Trailblazers in game two, throwing two innings, allowing five runs on five hits.
Freshman Kory Kingsbury (Evansville, Ind.) was the first in relief for the Trailblazers in game two, throwing two innings, allowing two runs, one earned on three hits.
Sophomore Bryce Gross (Bridgeport, Ill.) came in to throw one inning of relief, allowing two unearned runs on one hit and striking out one.
Freshman Kyle Holder (Mount Vernon, Ind.) pitched the final two and one-thirds innings for the Trailblazers in game two, allowing one run on two hits in the game.
The Trailblazers close out the 2025 regular season with a final record of 23-31 with an 11-21 record in MWAC Conference play.
USI wins big, 11-1, at UT Martin
MARTIN, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball got seven strong innings from junior left-hander Jake Porter and pounded out 17 hits to defeat the University of Tennessee at Martin, 11-1, Saturday afternoon in Martin, Tennessee. USI is 21-25 overall and 10-10 in the OVC, while UTM is 17-28, 8-11 OVC.
Porter (3-4) was dominating through eight innings of work to get his third win of the year. The junior left-hander allowed one run on five hits and one walk, while striking out five in seven innings of work. The seven innings were a season-high for Porter.
The Screaming Eagles took control of the game early, scoring three in the first inning and leading 3-1 after the first frame. The 3-run first inning was highlighted by an RBI double by junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens and an RBI single by junior catcher Micajah Wall.
After the Skyhawks scored a run in the bottom of the first, USI expanded its lead to 5-1 in the third inning. Senior centerfielder Khi Holiday singled through the left side to score a pair of runners for the USI offense in the frame.
The Eagles increased the lead to 6-1 in the fifth on an RBI sacrifice bunt before taking the margin to 8-1 with two runs in the seventh. USI scored in the seventh on an RBI single by junior pinch hitter/leftfielder Hunter Miller and an RBI ground out by Kitchens.
USI continued its scoring in the eighth on solo home runs by sophomore third baseman Parker Martin and Wall to take the lead to 10-1. The Eagles finished their scoring in the ninth when sophomore rightfielder Cameron Boyd sent a sacrifice fly to right to score Miller.
Offensively, Holiday led the way with four hits, while Holiday, Kitchens, and Wall posted two RBIs each.
Zoe Allen sets VU school record at Vanderbilt Outdoor Music City Challenge
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vincennes University freshman Zoe Allen (Anderson, Ind.) set a new school record this weekend at the 2025 Vanderbilt Outdoor Music City Challenge hosted by Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
Allen bested the previous VU school record in the 400 meter hurdles by crossing the finish line with a time of 1:03.95, finishing 11th overall in a stacked field full of NCAA Division I runners and earning an NJCAA National Championship qualifier in the process.
Allen’s busy weekend wasn’t finished there however as she also competed in the 200 meter dash, finishing 41st overall with a final time of 26.48 seconds.
VU sophomore Adi Fuller (Evansville, Ind.) also came away with a good finish on the weekend, placing 13th overall in the 3000 meter steeplechase with a time of 11:48.48.
The Trailblazer Women’s Track team results from the weekend were closed out by freshman Sara Belgacem (Tunis, Tunisia) placing 33rd overall in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:50.67.
The VU men’s results on the weekend were led by sophomore Maliek Bush (Jeffersonville, Ind.) who finished fifth in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.99 seconds.
Bush also had a stacked card this weekend, claiming fourth in the long jump with a best distance of 7.07 meters and taking 12th in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 15.32 seconds.
The trio of sophomores Malik Ferdinand (Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Olamipo Ladipo (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and freshman Isaiah Ervin (French Lick, Ind.) all played double duty this weekend running in the 200 meter dash and 400 meter dash.
Ladipo paced the trio of VU runners in the 200 meter dash with a final time of 21.30 seconds to take seventh overall, while Ferdinand placed fifth in the 400 meter dash with a time of 47.52 seconds.
Ladipo placed seventh in the 400 meter dash at 48.22 seconds and Ferdinand placed 12th in the 200 meter dash at 21.65 seconds.
Isaiah Ervin placed 18th overall in the 400 meter dash at 50.43 seconds and finished 38th in the 200 meter dash with a final time of 23.03 seconds.
Sophomore Zion Pruitt (Avon, Ind.) claimed another VU top-10 finish in the 40 meter hurdles, finishing 10th overall with a time of 56.39 seconds.
The VU distance runners were led by freshmen Anis Abdaoui (Kairouan, Tunisia) who finished 14th overall in the 800 meters with a time of 1:52.83 and a heat victory, while also claiming 18th overall in the 1500 meters at 3:50.30.
Sophomore Tanner Spence (Carmi, Ill.) rounds out the Vincennes results on the weekend with a 24th place finish in the 5000 meters with a final time of 15:13.39.
“As has been a common theme with our meets this season, Friday started off with a lightning delay and rain but we were still able to get in some solid races,” VU Interim Head Track and Field Coach Tyler Steigenga said. “Adi ran a great race in the 3000m steeple, just three seconds off her PR but good for the first National Qualifier of the weekend.”
“Sara managed a PR in the 1500 and 800,” Steigenga added. “Getting the National Qualifer in the 1500 and just missing it in the 800. She moved up to the VU top ten list in both events. Anis was just off his PR in the 1500 and in the 800. He ran a great race, winning his heat after a slow first lap.”
“Malik, Olamipo and Isaiah all ran really solid 200 and 400 doubles over both days,” Steigenga said. “Malik getting slight PRs in both and Dipo and Isaiah getting season bests.”
“Maliek Bush made the finals in the long jump and got his first wind legal jump of 7.07 meters,” Steigenga added. “Tanner capped off Friday in the 5000 meters where he ran a huge 35 second PR of 15:13, which is the ninth fastest time in school history.”
“Zion finished just off his PR in the 400 hurdles,” Steigenga said. “But Zoe was the highlight of the second day as she broke the school record and got a National Qualifier in the 400 hurdles running 1:03.95.”
The Trailblazers will have one more chance this season to get a few more National Qualifiers as Vincennes gets set to head to the ISU Sycamore Open Friday, May 9 hosted by Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind.
This will be the Outdoor Regular Season finale for the Trailblazers as they will then head to Hutchinson, Kan. for the 2025 NJCAA Outdoor National Championships, which will begin Thursday, May 15 and run through Saturday, May 17.
“It was great to come here and add three new National Qualifiers on the women’s side,” Steigenga said. “While also improving a few existing ones on the men’s side. We are in a good spot less than two weeks away from Nationals. Most of the Nationals crew will take a week off of competition before we head to Kansas. Everyone else will get another shot to compete at Indiana State Friday.”
Ninth inning rally sinks UE baseball against Belmont
The Purple Aces’ freshman had a big day at the plate
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – It was a back-and-forth game through eight innings on Saturday afternoon. But a big ninth inning on offense for the Belmont Bruins handed the University of Evansville a 12-8 loss.
The Purple Aces headed into the final inning of Saturday’s game with a two-run lead, looking to tie the series against Belmont. But the Bruins had a seven-run ninth inning to take the series win on Saturday afternoon. UE had 10 hits on the day from seven different batters for an improved offensive performance from Friday. Three Evansville batters led the team with two hits each in catcher Matt Flaherty (Lake Zurich, Ill. / Bellarmine), designated hitter Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence HS), and infielder Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo. / Blue Springs HS)
“It was a poorly managed game,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll following the loss. “To fall apart like that in winning time is on me. We need to salvage the weekend tomorrow with a win.”
It was an even game early as the two teams almost matched one another in the first and second innings. Both teams had a hit but stranded a runner in the first. While each team scored two runs in the second inning, with at least one homer. Belmont took the lead first with a solo shot to begin the inning and scored on a single five at-bats later.
On the opposite end, the Aces scored their first two runs on two separate solo home runs. Freshman infielder Jake McGhee (Fenton, Mo. / Christian Brothers Academy) recorded his first career home run in a UE uniform by going yard over the right field wall. Only two at-bats later, McConnell put his third homer of the season in almost the exact same spot.
The offense slowed down over the next three and a half innings as neither team scored a run until the sixth inning. The team’s starting pitchers, Evansville sophomore Kevin Reed (Martinsville, Ind. / Martinsville HS) and Bruins sophomore Zane Brown, dealt through the fifth. Pitching six innings, Reed scattered six hits and only allowed the two runs to score while striking out three batters for the Aces.
Brown was not as lucky as UE had a four-spot in the bottom of the sixth, forcing the reigning MVC Pitcher of the Week to exit midway through the frame. Infielder Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley) was the first Evansville player to score as he walked to lead off the half inning. McGinnis was brought home on a double from designated hitter Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence HS).
The Aces’ next five batters all reached base with two singles, two walks, and a fielder’s choice to score three more runs, giving UE a 6-2 advantage after two-thirds of the game. Belmont was able to answer immediately by tying the game up in the seventh with three runs on four hits off Evansville senior reliever Drew Fieger (Fort Mitchell, Ky. / Lincoln Trail CC). The Aces were able to retake the lead in the bottom of the inning with another pair of runs on two singles from catcher Matt Flaherty (Lake Zurich, Ill. / Bellarmine) and McConnell and two walks.
UE held onto the 8-6 lead through the eighth as a double play on defense took down the Bruins in order. A batter made it on base for Evansville in the bottom of the eighth but wasn’t able to score to give the Aces any more insurance. Belmont tied up the game in only two at-bats in the top of the ninth with a single followed by a home run to make it 8-8 with no outs on the board.
The Bruins’ offense cruised through their lineup at the top of the ninth, batting all the way through their order and then some. Belmont overtook UE in the final inning with eight hits, two walks, and a fielder’s choice to score seven runs. Evansville faced a 13-8 deficit going into the final frame of the day. Waggoner led off with his second double of the afternoon to right center. But the Aces’ next three batters went down in order, falling to the Bruins by five runs.
UE will try to take a game from Belmont on Sunday afternoon in the rubber match. Evansville will have junior right-hander Max Hansmann (Elmhurst, Ill. / York HS) on the mound to try and earn the win. First pitch for the series finale between the two teams is set for 1 p.m. at Charles H. Braun Stadium.
Aces’ track and field takes down three more records on final day of the Outdoor Music City Challenge
The Purple Aces wrapped up their weekend in Nashville on Saturday
NASHVILLE – The University of Evansville track and field team had two more record performances on Saturday for a successful weekend at the Outdoor Music City Challenge.
The Purple Aces finished their time in the Music City with three more new records and two podium finishes. UE’s men set two more program records on the track in the 800-meter race and the 4×400-meter relay race. Sophomore Cedrik Flipo (Beloeil, Quebec) ran the 800-meter race in 1:49.41 while Evansville’s 4×400 relay team improved on their record from two weeks ago. Sophomore sprinter Taylor Johnson (Evansville, Ind. / Reitz HS) took down an eight-year record in the 400-meter hurdles in her first-ever collegiate hurdles event with a time of 1:03.66.
“This weekend was a critical weekend for big performances, and we delivered in a major way,” said Head Coach Dylan Anderson after the meet. “Vanderbilt always puts on a great, efficient meet and did so even with weather delays both days. I’m really encouraged that we are at our best at the right time.”
SPRINTS, HURDLES, RELAYS
The Aces’ first event of the afternoon was one of their best results of the day, the men’s 4×100-meter relay. UE’s team of sophomore Connor Shin (Bloomington, Ind. / Bloomington North HS), junior Jose Ocampo (Monterrey, Nueva Leon, Mexico), freshman Myles Terry (Evansville, Ind. / North HS), and sophomore Raymond Felton III (Houston / Clear Brook HS) earned the top spot in the event with a time of 41.16 seconds. The mark by the relay team was three hundredths of a second behind their best performance of the season at SIUE.
Terry was the next Evansville runner to compete, finishing the 400-meter race in 53.68 seconds. Johnson ran the women’s 100-meter dash, placing 14th with a time of 12.47 seconds. In the preliminary men’s 100-meter dash, Shin had the highest finish at seventh with an even 11.00 seconds to qualify for the finals. Ocampo finished 12th to round out the Aces runners at 11.14 seconds.
Johnson competed in her first-ever hurdles event on Saturday, running in the 400-meter hurdles. She ran the event in 1:03.66 to finish in the Top 10 right at 10th while also setting a new program record in the process. In the men’s 100-meter dash final, Shin finished eighth with a slightly slower time of 11.08 seconds.
UE finished its day on the track with another broken program record. The men’s 4×400 relay team of Felton III, Terry, Shin, and Flipo placed second in the event with a time of 3:16.86, only two and a half seconds behind winners, Tennessee State. The relay team improved on their program record from their prior meet by two seconds.
MID-DISTANCE
Evansville only had one mid-distance event on Saturday afternoon, with the 800-meter races. Sophomore Chase Hayes (Noblesville, Ind. / Western HS) finished just off her PR with a time of 2:21.04.
Both of the Aces’ runners in the men’s race finished in the Top 10, with Flipo at fifth with a time of 1:49.41. Flipo’s time set a new program record for UE in the event, just beating out teammate Rafael Rodrigez’s (Sergovia, Spain) time from last season by almost two seconds. Senior Adam Oulgout (St. Paul, Minn. / Central HS) set a PR to finish ninth with a time of 1:51.29 to round out individual track performances for Evansville.
THROWS
The Aces’ meet day began early in the field with the hammer throws. Sophomore Tyler Cherne (Boardman, Ohio / Boardman HS) was the first to compete as he had a throw of 43.32 meters. Junior Gwen Darrah (Cleveland / Orange HS) placed fourth in the women’s hammer throw at a half meter off her season best with a throw of 42.43 meters. UE’s final throws event was the women’s shot put, where freshman Emma Bertel (Franklin, Ind. / Franklin Community HS) threw 9.47 meters.
NEWSLETTER FOR VETERANS
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Bless all our Children
The Word in 120 by Jerome Stewart
Bless all our Children
Our children have so many challenges today because of the many different influences of the social media where you will find the good, the bad, and
the ugly. The best thing a parent can do for a young child is teach them God’s word. If you are a single parent, God’s word will assist anyone willing to trust in
His wisdom. What parent, who wants the best for their children, is willing to allow the ways of the world to be their teacher? Proverbs 3 vss. 5 and 6 says; “Trust in
the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Timothy was a
mentee of the Apostle Paul and he recognized the teachings Timothy received from his mother and grandmother during his early childhood development. 2nd.
Timothy chapter 1 vss. 1 thru 6 says; “Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, a
beloved son; Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did as
without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to
remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.”
Paul while in prison understood the challenges young Timothy faced, but he also recognized the influence of the women in Timothy’s life as a child. Proverbs
chapter 13 vs. 24 says; “He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.” We all make mistakes and some are innocent. Do
not major in the minor issues of life when raising a child. Paul Harvey was a radio personality for 50 years. He loved children! He told the story of the little girl who
didn’t mean any harm in what she was doing on a daily basis. She was in the backyard tending to the teeth of her dog. Evidently she had been trained on the
importance of having clean teeth. When her father asked what she was doing she replied; “Don’t worry daddy, I’ll put your toothbrush back like I always have.”