Aces open on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the second year in a row, the University of Evansville softball team will begin its quest for a Missouri Valley Conference Championship against Loyola. Wednesday’s opening game pits the 9th-seeded Purple Aces against #8 Loyola at 11 a.m. at Killian Stadium in Springfield, Mo. ESPN+ will have coverage of each game in the conference tournament.
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Looking at the Matchup
– Evansville and Loyola meet up in the conference tournament for the third time since 2017 with the Ramblers taking both games, including a 3-1 decision in last year’s championship opener at Cooper Stadium
– Since 2015, the Aces are 14-9 versus the Ramblers and have won six consecutive regular season series
– In 2022, UE took two out of three in Chicago
Last Time Out
– Taking on Valparaiso in the final series of the 2022 regular season, Evansville dropped two out of three contests
– After falling in the opener by a 5-1 score, UE rallied for a 2-1 win in eight frames in game two of the doubleheader
– Sunday’s contest saw the Beacons score five times in the first inning on their way to a 10-0 win in five innings
– Izzy Vetter picked up the win on Saturday, allowing on earned run in eight innings while Jessica Fehr scored both of the Aces runs
Strong Finish
– Entering the MVC Championship, senior Mackenzie McFeron has reached base safely in each of the final 13 games of the regular season and carried an 8-game hitting streak into the series at Valpo
– Over the last 11 contests, she is batting .364 with 12 hits in 33 at-bats while scoring 11 runs
– McFeron was Evansville’s leading hitter in Valley games (.324) and finished second with her season average of .296 and had the first 3-hit game of her career in the April 10 finale at Illinois State
Back in the Win Column
– On Saturday, Izzy Vetter gave up one run in eight innings on the way to a win over Valparaiso; it was her first victory since April 2 at Loyola
– Vetter finished conference play with a 4-10 record and a 6.25 ERA; she had 66 walks against 66 strikeouts in 84.0 frames of work in the MVC
– Her non-conference numbers saw her accumulate a 1.51 ERA and an 11-2 record while striking out 112 and walking just 22 in 74 innings
– Vetter has thrown three no-hitters in 2022 to improve to a total of four in her career and accomplished the feat this season against Mississippi Valley State, Morehead State and Creighton
– Her 178 strikeouts is second in the MVC and 45th nationally
