Softball travels to MVC Championship

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Aces open on Wednesday at 11 a.m.

 

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.

 

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