Three-game series set for Saturday and Sunday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the first time in Missouri Valley Conference play, the University of Evansville softball team takes to the road as the Purple Aces will be in Springfield to take on Missouri State. Saturday will feature a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. before Sunday’s finale begins with a 12 p.m. first pitch.
In the opening weekend of MVC action, junior Alexa Davis batted .444 with four hits in nine at-bats. She recorded three stolen bases, two walks, a run and RBI. In Friday’s opener versus the Braves, Davis was 2-4 with a walk, steal and run. Game two of the Friday doubleheader saw her go 0-2, but she did draw a walk and steal. Davis completed the weekend with a 2-3 effort with another steal and double. Making Sunday’s effort even more impressive was that she left the game in the middle innings after suffering a cut on a stolen base. She re-entered in the seventh to hit a double.
Sydney Weatherford had an effective pair of appearances to open the conference seasons. Weatherford tossed 1 2/3 innings on Friday against Bradley while giving up a walk and striking out one.  She made the start on Sunday and went five innings and gave up an unearned run on just two hits while adding another strikeout.  Following a March 11 game against Indiana, her ERA stood at 5.33 but two solid appearances against the Braves saw her ERA drop to 4.10.
Making her Missouri Valley Conference debut against Bradley over the weekend, UE freshman Taylor How batted .300 and reached base 41.7% of the time. Howe recorded a hit in each game, including a 1-4 game in Friday’s doubleheader opener. She was also hit by a pitch in the contest. She went 1-3 in the second game before adding another 1-for-3 effort in Sunday’s finale. Howe was hit by another pitch on Sunday to improve her on-base percentage.
Missouri State enters the weekend with a record of 13-15 and a 3-2 mark through their first five MVC outings. After falling in two games to Southern Illinois, the Bears have rebounded to win four in a row overall while sweeping Drake in a home series last weekend. MSU outscored the Bulldogs by a 24-1 tally.
