EVANSVILLE, Ind. - A big inning in the late stages of both games Thursday propelled Evansville to a 5-3, 5-2 doubleheader sweep of Saint Louis in non-conference softball action.

Jessica Buschjost was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI to lead the Billikens (19-26) in the opener. Alyson Brand had an RBI single, Laura Bohning drove in a run with a groundout, and Lindsay Friedman and Jessica Van Nostrand registered a single apiece.

Trailing 1-0, SLU pulled even with a run in the third. Van Nostrand reached on a bunt single and went to second when the third baseman threw the ball away. She moved to third on Kerri Dockins' sacrifice and scored on Buschjost's double.

Evansville (13-28) scored twice in the fourth, but the Bills retaliated with two runs of their own in the fifth to forge a 3-3 deadlock.

Dockins led off with a walk, and Buschjost followed with a bunt single to put the tying run aboard. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice by Erin Harcar. Dockins scooted home on Bohning's ground ball, and Brand delivered a two-out single to chase Buschjost home with the equalizer.

However, a two-out, two-run triple in the sixth inning off reliever Hannah Huebbe (10-11) put Evansville back on top, and Saint Louis was retired in order in the seventh.

In the nightcap, the Purple Aces grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second, and the Billikens tied it with a pair of fourth-inning tallies.

Harcar reached on an error leading off, and Brand drew a one-out walk. Rachel Faletto came through with a single that scored Harcar and moved pinch runner Liz Jones to second. Faletto and Jones advanced on Kelsey Biggs' groundout, and Jones scored on an infield hit by Friedman.

Unfortunately, that was all the scoring the Bills could muster. Meanwhile, Evansville put three runs on the board in the fifth and held on for the win.

Julian Austin (4-8), who allowed only three earned runs, suffered the loss. Dockins doubled and Van Nostrand singled to round out SLU's offensive effort.