Series finale set for Sunday morning

 Freshman Izzy Vetter retired the first nine batters and tossed a complete game to help the University of Evansville softball team split Saturday’s doubleheader against Loyola.

Vetter went the distance, giving up five hits in the effort to lead UE (11-16, 1-4 MVC) to the 5-3 win in game two.  She struck out seven Rambler batters.  Loyola (16-8, 1-4 MVC) took game one by a final of 9-6.

It was Evansville picking up the first run of the second tilt.  After singles by Mea Adams and Bailee Bostic, Allison Daggett delivered a sac fly to center to give UE the 1-0 lead in bottom of the second.  UE extended its lead in the third when Haley Woolf homered to left field.  It was her first long ball of the season, making it a 3-0 game in favor of the Aces.  UE also notched a hit in the first as Halie Fain recorded her first one as a member of the squad.

Freshman Izzy Vetter got off to an excellent start, sitting the first nine batters down and did not allow a hit until the top of the fifth.  The offense added some insurance for her in the sixth, loading the bases with no outs.  After posting her first career hit in the first frame, Halie Fain struck again with an RBI knock.  Lindsay Renneisen followed it up with a sacrifice fly that gave Evansville a 5-0 lead.

UE looked to be in control, but the Ramblers had one final push in the top of the seventh, loading the bases up with no outs.  A hit batter allowed the first run to score before two more runs came home, but Vetter was able to shut the door and lead UE to the 5-3 triumph.

The Aces had 10 hits in the game with Fain, Bostic and Daggett recording two apiece.

Loyola plated three runs in the top of the first inning to begin game one.  The big hit came off the bat of Katie Kasubke, who hit a 2-RBI single to extend their lead to 3-0.  Evansville got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning.  Halie Fain, making her second start of the season, was hit by a pitch.  After stealing second, Fain scored on a single by Lindsay Renneisen.

After the Ramblers plated their fourth run in the top of the second, the Aces rallied once again.  In the bottom of the third, Haley Woolf delivered a 2-RBI double with two outs.  Renneisen and Eryn Gould scored on the play as the Aces cut the deficit to a run.  The persistence by the Aces paid off in the bottom of the fourth when Mackenzie McFeron scored the game-tying run.  Bailee Bostic reached on a single before an error allowed McFeron to cross the plate.

In the top of the fifth, Loyola went back on top, reeling off five runs to take their largest lead of the day at 9-4.  Katie McLean got the Aces closer in the seventh, lacing a 2-run double to left, but the Ramblers finished with the 9-6 win.  UE had six hits in the game, all by different players.  Gould scored two runs.  Emily Lockhart tossed seven innings, allowing four earned runs.  She exited briefly while Ashleigh Downing faced four batters.  Loyola had ten hits with Katie Kasubke going 3-3 with three RBI, a walk and a run.