UE opens with 4-1 win
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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The first weekend of home action for the University of Evansville softball team came to a close on Sunday with the Purple Aces opening the day with 4-1 win before Purdue Fort Wayne held off a furious rally to take an 8-7 win in game two at Cooper Stadium.
UE (9-5) was led by Marah Wood in the opener as she belted a pair of home runs while knocking in three of the Aces’ four runs. Trailing 8-2 entering the bottom of the seventh in the finale, Evansville scored five times, but could not get the tying run across the plate as the Mastodons (1-3) finished with the 1-run victory.
GAME 1
It did not take long for the Purple Aces to find their way onto the scoreboard as a 2-run shot by Marah Wood gave UE a 2-0 lead. Eryn Gould hit a leadoff single before Wood connected on her second long ball of the weekend to left field. In the bottom half of the third, it was Wood getting the job done once again, recording her second homer of the game to almost the exact location as she did in the first inning. Following Wood’s solo shot, Jessica Fehr drew a 2-out walk before stealing second. Bella Coffey came through with a single to score Fehr and push the lead to 4-0.
Purdue Fort Wayne would score once in the top of the seventh, but Izzy Vetter wrapped up the game, going the distance allowing one run on two hits while striking out seven. Wood had two hits in the game – both home runs.
GAME 2
After generating some momentum on the offensive side towards the finish of the first game, the Mastodons struck first in game two with four runs in the top of the third. They took advantage of three Evansville errors as three of their runs were unearned. UE’s offense got on track in the bottom of the fourth when a single by Haley Woolf scored Gould, who led off the frame with a walk. The Aces threatened to add more, but stranded the bases loaded.
Lindsay Renneisen hit a solo home run to center field, but the Mastodons extended their lead to 8-2 thanks to a 3-run top of the seventh. Down to their final three outs, UE rallied. Elyse Hickey drew a leadoff walk before the Aces loaded the bags up for Haley Woof. A single through the right side added two runs. Jenna Lis reached on a fielder’ choice to load the bases up for Katie McLean, who singled up the middle to score two more to make it an 8-6 game. Mackenzie McFeron scored on a wild pitch to make it a 1-run game, but UE could not tie it up with Purdue Fort Wayne hanging on for the win.
Woolf led the Aces with three in the finale while McLean and Fain registered two hits apiece. Jaime Nurrenbern took her first loss of the season, allowing five runs (two earned) in six innings.
Next weekend, the Aces are back inside Cooper Stadium for a 3-gam
