Des Moines, IA – The Sycamores saw their season come to an end Thursday morning in the opening round of the MVC Tournament, as they fell to Evansville 9-6 in a back-and-forth game.
Indiana State led 3-0 Wednesday evening in the opening MVC game against Evansville before the game was postponed to Thursday morning due to inclement weather.
The Sycamores took control early, erupting for three runs in the second inning. Brailey Mills was hit by a pitch and stole second, setting the stage for Luci Kapelka's RBI single.
Kapelka advanced to second on the throw, and after a flyout, Peyton Simmons singled, moving Kapelka to third and stealing second. Madison Poulson then capped the rally with a two-RBI double, bringing both runners home. The Sycamores offense remained strong, leaving one runner on base and establishing an early tone for the game.
The action resumed Thursday morning in the top of the third with two outs and one Ace on second base.
Evansville responded in the top of the fourth, capitalizing on three walks, a three-run double by Powell, and a defensive miscue to rally for four runs. Powell's big hit tied the game, and an error allowed her to score the go-ahead run, giving Evansville a 4-3 lead.
Indiana State threatened again in the bottom of the fourth. Singles by Kapelka, Simmons, and Poulson loaded the bases with one out, but Evansville's defense stepped up. Goodrich's flyout to left turned into a double play when Esposito was thrown out at home, keeping the Aces ahead 4-3.
The Sycamores surged in the bottom of the fifth. Livi Colip led off with a single, and Lauren Marsicek doubled to put runners in scoring position. Brailey Mills then delivered a clutch two-run double to center, advancing to third on an error, and later scored on Jordan Thatcher's RBI groundout. The three-run inning put Indiana State back on top, 6-4.
Evansville fought back in the top of the sixth, taking advantage of defensive mistakes by Indiana State. After Piggott walked, back-to-back errors on a bunt by Pye and a play by Howe allowed two unearned runs to score, tying the game at 6-6. The Aces threatened further but stranded two runners to end the inning.
The Aces seized the lead in the top of the seventh. After a walk and a pitcher's error put runners on base, Piggott blasted a three-run homer to left, giving Evansville a 9-6 lead. They then held the Sycamores in the bottom half of the inning, retiring them 3 up, 3 down, maintaining the lead to secure the victory as the Sycamores' 2025 season came to an end.
Brailey Mills had a strong performance, going 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Madison Poulson contributed two hits and two RBIs, while Luci Kapelka also had two hits and drove in a run. Peyton Simmons and Lauren Marsicek added 2 key hits against the Purple Aces, and Jordan Thatcher added an RBI.
Hailey Griffin started in the circle and pitched 3.0 innings, allowing 3 runs on 2 hits with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts. Cassi Newbanks (L, 5-7) followed, giving up 6 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits over 3.0 innings, while walking 3 and striking out 4.
Megan Asher came in for 1.0 inning of relief, keeping Evansville scoreless with 1 walk and no hits. Overall, the Sycamores allowed 9 hits, 7 earned runs, and 7 walks while striking out 7 in the game.
Indiana State's season concluded with an overall record of 19-33 and an MVC record of 13-12.
Follow the Sycamores
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. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
#MarchOn
