UE wraps up home weekend on Monday
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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Sunday’s action at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James & Dorothy Cooper Stadium saw the University of Evansville softball team pick up an 8-3 win over Kansas City before taking a 7-6 win over USI in nine innings.
Game 1 – UE 8, Kansas City 3
Hannah Hood was 2-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs to pace the UE softball team to an 8-3 win over Kansas City in their first game of the day. Taylor Howe and Jenna Nink registered two hits apiece while Hood and Lacy Smith each scored twice.
Each team threatened in the first. Kansas City put runners on second and third with one out with Mikayla Jolly striking out the final two batters to get out of the inning. UE put its first two batters on base and would load the bases with two outs, but the Kangaroos recorded two strikeouts to keep the game scoreless.
Hits by Lacy Smith and Jenna Nink were followed by a Sydney Kalonihea walk to load the bases to open the second inning. Taylor Howe got the Aces on the board with two runs crossing the plate on a deep sacrifice fly to center field. Zoe Frossard added another sac fly to make it a 3-0 game.
Hannah Hood led the third with a double and scored on a double steal while Jenna Nink followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 5-0. The Kangaroos plated two runs in the top of the fourth but a swing of the bat by Hood got those right back. With Alexa Davis on base, Hood homered to left center to make it a 7-2 game in the bottom of the 5th.
In the sixth, the Aces plated their final run as Marah Wood hit a sacrifice fly for the eighth run of the game. The Kangaroos scored one in the seventh but the Aces held on for the 8-3 win. Mikayla Jolly earned the win, tossing four innings. She gave up two runs on four hits, one earned. Megan Brenton threw two scoreless frames while Ariel Thomasson gave up one run in the 7th.
Game 2 – UE 7, USI 6 (9 innings)
Taylor Howe and Marah Wood each hit home runs to help the Purple Aces defeat USI by a 7-6 final on Sunday evening. The home runs accounted for two of UE’s three hits. Sydney Weatherford gave up five earned runs with two being earned. Megan Brenton earned the win, giving up one unearned run in four innings.
USI had the first big scoring threat of the day in the top half of the second. A pair of hits led off the inning before the duo advanced to second and third with one out. Lacy Smith threw a laser from right field to tag out the runner on a sacrifice fly attempt to keep the game scoreless. In the third, the Screaming Eagles were first to get on the board on a 2-RBI double by Kennedy Nalley.
Evansville knotted the game in the bottom of the third when Taylor Howe belted the first home run of her career. The 2-run shot scored Sydney Kalonihea, who reached on a walk. An inning later, the Aces took their first lead when a 2-run standup double by Jenna Nink put UE in front at 4-2.
After loading up the bases with no outs to open the fifth, USI cashed in as they retook the lead. Two Evansville errors contributed to three runs by the Screaming Eagles. In the bottom of the frame, UE jumped right back in front. Marah Wood homered to center to plate Jess Willsey and give Evansville a 6-5 edge. In the top of the 6th, USI tied the game on the third UE error of the night. Things would remain that way until the bottom of the ninth. Pinch runner Dori Brown would score the game-winner on a Screaming Eagles error to finalize a 7-6 win.
