TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State softball split a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon at Price Field against Evansville.

The Sycamores had their bats going early and often in game one as ISU put up 16 runs including an eight-run first innings en route to a 16-3 win while Evansville bounced back in game to and took home a 3-2 victory to split the doubleheader. ISU finished the day with 22 hits between the two games.

Indiana State (20-21, 7-10) and the Purple Aces (21-19, 6-11) will finish their season series next Wednesday in Evansville.

Game One
Indiana State wasted no time in game one, putting up eight runs in the opening frame which began with an Olivia Patton leadoff walk and a Bella Peterson single. They would both come around to score on an Isabella Henning double off the top of the wall in left center to put the Sycamores up 2-0. Lexie Siwek then reached on a bunt single which was followed up by a three-run home run by Amanda Guercio to center to extend the ISU lead to five. Annie Tokarek made it back-to-back home runs with a solo shot down the left field line which put the Sycamores up 6-0. Following a Danielle Henning single and another Olivia Patton walk, Bella Peterson drove them both in with a double to left center to make it 8-0 Indiana State.

Cassi Newbanks got an Aces batter looking to leave the bases loaded in the top of the second. Indiana State would grow their lead in the bottom half of the frame as Amanda Guercio picked up her fourth RBI of the day with a single up the middle to make it 9-0. She would come around to score on an Evansville throwing error which made it 10-0 ISU.

The Sycamores kept their bats going in the third, putting four more runs on the board in the frame. Isabella Henning launched a three-run home run over the scoreboard in right to make it 13-0. Amanda Guercio then hit her second home run of the game with a solo shot to left field to grow the Indiana State lead to 14-0 after three innings of play.
Lexie Siwek drove in a pair of runs in the fourth inning with a bases-loaded single to center which scored Cassie Thomerson and Grace Hunger to put the Sycamores up 16-0.

Evansville got on the board in the fifth inning with back-to-back RBI hits to score three runs but it would not be enough as the Sycamores got the 16-3 run-rule victory.

Cassi Newbanks went 4.2 innings and picked up her fifth win of the season while Hailey Griffin got the final out of the game, leaving the bases loaded.

Indiana State finished game one with 14 hits, getting multi-hit efforts from five different players including a five RBI game from both Amanda Guercio and Isabella Henning.
Olivia Patton finished the game with three walks and three runs scored.

Game Two
The Purple Aces of Evansville were able to limit the Sycamores in game two, winning 3-2 to split the doubleheader.

Indiana State got off to another early lead in the first as Isabella Henning drove in Olivia Patton with an infield single for Henning's sixth RBI of the doubleheader.
Evansville tied the game in the third, getting an RBI groundout from Marah Wood to make it a 1-1 game.

The Sycamores would get the run back in the bottom of the frame to go up 2-1 as a pair of Evansville errors allowed Olivia Patton to score after reaching with a single.

After allowing just one run through the first four innings, Lexi Benko surrendered a two-run shot to center field which gave Evansville a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth.

TeAnn Bringle got a pinch-hit single in the seventh to start a Sycamore rally but the Aces were able to escape and pick up the win to even the series.

Benko finished with five strikeouts over seven innings of work, dropping to 10-11 on the season with the loss.

Indiana State finished with eight hits as Amanda Guercio went 2-for-3, Isabella Henning went 2-for-4 and Olivia Patton went 2-for-3 with two runs scored to highlight the Sycamores at the plate.

Around the Horn
-Bella Peterson's three hits in game one push her total to 51 on the season, including 17 doubles which is second most in the country.

-Isabella Henning extended her hitting-streak to eight games after a pair of multi-hit efforts against Evansville. Her 35 RBIs this season are the most among MVC hitters.

-Peterson (.389) and Henning (.385) now rank 1-2 in the MVC in batting average.

-Olivia Patton reached base five times today and came around to score every time.

-Amanda Guercio now ranks second all-time in program history with 22 career home runs. Peterson is third with 20 and Tokarek is right behind her with 19.

Up Next
The Sycamores will travel to Carbondale, Ill. for a three-game series at Southern Illinois beginning on Saturday.

For the latest information on Sycamore Softball, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.