Aces top Northwestern State in finale

NORMAN, Okla. – After a furious rally saw Northwestern State overcome a 6-run deficit to tie it up in the top of the seventh, Brittany Hay came through in the bottom, hitting a walk-off home run to give the University of Evansville softball team an 8-7 win over the Demons on Sunday.

“This was a great way to end the weekend,” UE head coach Mat Mundell said.  “This team showed a lot of grit and fight this weekend.  This tournament was meant to challenge us and get us ready for MVC play and it certainly did that.”

Hay went 2-3 with two runs scored and the homer in the game.  Catcher Hayli Scott also had a pair of hits as the Purple Aces (5-9) outhit NSU, 10-9.  Emily Lockhart made the start, going 5 1/3 while Ashleigh Downing (1.0) and Samantha Fleming (2/3) finished up the contest.  Fleming was credited with the win.

Evansville got off to a nice start, scoring a run in each of the first four innings.  Mackenzie Johnson opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first.  Two more runs crossed the plate in the second as Chandra Parr and Morgan Florey each had RBI knocks.

After a pair of unearned runs scored for the Aces in the third, Susan Norris continued the offensive onslaught with a 2-RBI double in the fourth.  Just when it looked like the Aces would run away with the win, Northwestern State saw five runs scored in the sixth before tying it up in the top of the seventh.

Brittany Hay and the Aces did not let the adversity impact them as she led off the seventh with the walk-off shot.

The Aces remain in the state of Oklahoma until Tuesday when the face Oklahoma State at 5:30 p.m.

Exacta Terminals Handled Over $75 Million in February

Boynton Beach, FL – Exacta Systems and Kentucky Downs once again shattered the single month historic horse racing handle record in February, with wagering in the 28-day month totaling $51.8 million.  The previous record of $47.2 million was only one month old, having been set in January.  This marks the third straight month that a new HHR wagering record has been set at Kentucky Downs.

In addition to the record set at Kentucky Downs, Exacta set a one-month record by handling over $75 million in HHR wagers at its installations in Kentucky and Wyoming, up from its previous record of $68.6 million set last month.

“Despite the short month, Exacta and Kentucky Downs added over $4.5 million in pari-mutuel wagering handle when compared to January’s record numbers,” commented Exacta Systems President Jeremy Stein.  “I am confident that with the introduction of Exacta Premium Game Titles with minimum jackpots of $100,000 at Kentucky Downs next month, the explosive growth of historic horse racing will continue.  In January, Exacta went over $1 billion in total wagers handled since we first went live in 2015.  We are on pace to do $1 billion in total wagers at our combined installations this year alone, which will continue generating millions in new revenue for purses, breeders incentive funds, racetrack operators and state general funds.”

For more information about the company and the Exacta historic horse racing system, visit www.exactasystems.com or the Exacta Systems Facebook page.

INDIANAPOLIS – This past week, members of the Indiana University men’s and women’s swimming team participated in the Arena Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis at the IU Natatorium.

Over the course of the three-day, long-course meter meet, the Hoosiers qualified five for A Finals, 16 for B Finals, 23 for C Finals and eight for D Finals.

On Thursday, Ali Khalafalla headlined the current Hoosiers’ effort, placing seventh in the A Final of the 100 LCM freestyle with a time of 50.03. In the prelims, the junior was even faster, clocking in at 49.68. In the C Final, Mohamed Samy placed second with a time of 50.27, while Anze Tavcar was sixth in 50.78.

In the men’s 400 LCM freestyle, IU postgrad Zane Grothe won the A Final with an impressive time of 3:48.14. Andrej Ivanovic placed seventh in the B Final with a time of 3:58.12, while Ethan Curl was third in the C Final in 4:00.94. Also in the C Final, Trey Hubbuch was fourth with a mark of 4:01.38, while Nicholas Carlson was eighth in 4:03.56.

In the D Final of the men’s 400 LCM freestyle, Joey Snodderly placed third in 4:05.10, while Matthew Kint was fifth with a time of 4:08.23. In the women’s 400 LCM freestyle, Hannah Sakaluk was fifth with a time of 4:24.29. 

Indiana alum Cody Miller took third in the A Final of the men’s 200 LCM breaststroke, touching the wall in a time of 2:11.94. Freshman Jack Kucharczyk placed fifth in the B Final with a time of 2:16.71, while Nikola Andjelic was second in the C Final with a mark of 2:20.21.

In the women’s 200 LCM breaststroke, Laura Morley placed fifth in the B Final with a time of 2:32.98. In the D Final, Mackenzie Atencio placed second with a time of 2:37.25.

Christine Jensen led the Hoosiers in the women’s 100 LCM butterfly, placing fifth in the B Final with a time of 1:01.03. Also in the B Final, Shelby Koontz was sixth in 1:01.14. On the men’s side, Brian Valedon tied for fourth in the C Final with a time of 56.58 (56.10 in prelims), while Wyeth Brock took fourth in the D Final with a mark of 56.96.

On Friday, Rachel Matsumura had a great swim in the B Final of the 200 LCM backstroke, winning with a time of 2:13.78. On the men’s side, Wilson Beckman placed second in the C Final of the 200 LCM back, touching the wall in a mark of 2:06.81.

In the women’s 400 LCM IM, Reagan Cook came in fifth place in the B Final, finishing with a time of 4:56.50. For the IU men, Brian Valedon placed sixth in the B Final with a mark of 4:36.58. In the morning prelims, the freshman posted a time of 4:35.72.

Freshman Nick Carlson placed fifth in the B Final of the men’s 200 LCM freestyle, touching the wall in a time of 1:51.35.

In the women’s 50 LCM freestyle, Shelby Koontz took second in the C Final with a time of 26.39, while Christine Jensen tied for third in the D Final with a mark of 26.85.

On Saturday, Indiana had a great showing in the men’s 1,500 LCM freestyle, with eight swimmers earning spots in the top-24. IU postgrad Zane Grothe led the group, placing seventh overall with a time of 15:37.52.

Ethan Curl came in 10^th with a time of 15:47.22, while Matthew Anderson finished 13^th in 15:54.01. Jack Collins placed 14^th with a mark of 15:55.34. Trey Hubbuch took 17^th in 16:07.52, while Andrej Ivanovic was right behind him in 18^th with a time of 16:10.41. Joey Snodderly was 19^th in 16:11.89, while Matthew King placed 24^th with a mark of 16:31.13.

In the women’s distance event on the day – the 800 LCM freestyle – Hannah Sakaluk was 20^th overall with a time of 9:10.93.

In the men’s 100 LCM breaststroke, 2016 Rio bronze medalist and IU alum Cody Miller placed second in the A Final with a time of 1:00.30.

In the C Final, Nikola Andjelic was third with a time of 1:04.33, while Jack Kucharczyk was fifth in 1:04.71. Stephen Husch placed seventh with a mark of 1:05.83. Sam Apa won the D Final of the 100 LCM breast, touching the wall in a time of 1:04.60.

On the women’s side, Laura Morley placed third in the B Final with a time of 1:11.80. In the C Final, Mackenzie Atencio was sixth in 1:13.83, while Hope Hayward took sixth in the D Final with a time of 1:16.93.

Freshman Brian Valedon had a great showing in the B Final of the men’s 200 LCM butterfly, touching second with a time of 2:04.50.

In the women’s 200 LCM IM, Sam Lisy led a trio of IU swimmers, finishing sixth in the B Final with a mark of 2:19.95. Rachel Matsumura continued her great meet, placing eighth with a time of 2:21.33, while Christine Jensen was eighth in the C Final with a time of 2:22.45.

On the men’s side, Kucharczyk placed second in the D Final of the 200 LCM IM with a time of 2:11.91.

In the men’s 100 LCM backstroke, the IU men had three swimmers in the C Final. Wilson Beckman tied for second with a time of 57.95, while Wyeth Brock took fourth in 58.04. Wes Duke was sixth in 58.80.

For the Hoosier women in the 100 LCM backstroke, Matsumura placed fourth in the C Final with a time of 58.04.

Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men’s swimming and diving team on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

UE travels to Florida for six matches

 

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Freshman Diana Tkachenko was victorious in singles and doubles once again as the University of Evansville women’s tennis team fell to the University of Cincinnati by a 6-1 final on Friday at the Western Tennis & Fitness Club.

“We played good tennis again today unfortunately just didn’t get the results we’re looking for,” head coach Jayson Wiseman said.  “As a coach I have to do a better job of getting them prepared for the level competition that we are playing and hopefully we will do a better job this week of converting hard work into positive results for our spring break matches.”

Tkachenko had another great day for UE as she topped Kelly Poggensee-Wei at #2 singles, 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5).  She also teamed up with Nicoli Pereira to defeat Harley Hutchison and Ali Miller in #2 doubles, 4-3.

Daria Pentsova and Andrea Pascual-Larrinaga put up nice fights at #4 and 5 singles, respectively.  Pentsova fell to Caroline Morton, 6-2, 6-3 while Pascual-Larrinaga lost in fifth-flight singles, 6-3, 6-3.

Over the next six days, the Aces will play six matches in Orlando, Fla.

Tennis Match Results

University of Evansville vs Cincinnati

Mar 03, 2017 at Cincinnati, Ohio

(Western Tennis & Fitness Club)

 

Cincinnati 6, University of Evansville 1

 

Singles competition

1. Lauren Bellinger (CIN) def. Chieko Yamada (UE) 6-2, 6-2
2. Diana Tkachenko (UE) def. Kelly Poggensee-Wei (CIN) 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5)
3. Antonella Bramato (CIN) def. Nicoli Pereira (UE) 6-3, 6-0
4. Caroline Morton (CIN) def. Daria Pentsova (UE) 6-2, 6-3
5. Anna Philp (CIN) def. Andrea Pascual-Larri (UE) 6-3, 6-3
6. Ali Miller (CIN) def. Theodora Soldatou (UE) 6-1, 6-1

 

Doubles competition

1. Lauren Bellinger/Kelly Poggensee-Wei (CIN) def. Chieko Yamada/Theodora Soldatou (UE) 6-0
2. Diana Tkachenko/Nicoli Pereira (UE) def. Harley Hutchison/Ali Miller (CIN) 4-3
3. Antonella Bramato/Caroline Morton (CIN) def. Andjela Brguljan/Daria Pentsova (UE) 6-2