Aces open Valley play against Bradley

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Missouri Valley Conference play commences this weekend when the University of Evansville softball team welcomes Bradley for a 3-game series.  Friday’s action will feature a 2 p.m. doubleheader with the exact timing for game three to be announced.  ESPN3 and ESPN+ will have coverage of the three games.

– Evansville has had the upper hand in the series over the last two years, winning five out of six games

– In 2021, the Purple Aces swept a home series versus the Braves before winning two out of three in Peoria last year

– In its final non-conference tournament, UE was in Nashville, Tenn. for the Lady Bison Classic

– Friday’s opening day of the event saw UE drop a close 3-1 game to Akron before falling 5-2 to Indiana

– The Aces faced both squads again on Saturday, losing by a 13-1 final to the Hoosiers and a 13-6 score to the Zips

– Sunday’s game saw the Aces rebound with a 5-2 victory over Lipscomb

– Junior Alexa Davis has established herself as a true offensive force in the Missouri Valley Conference

– Davis is ranked in the top 15 in nine categories with the highlights including a tie for third in home runs, total bases and walks, fifth in slugging percentage and a tie for sixth in runs scored

– She paces UE in batting average (.333), runs (16), hits (21), triples (3), home runs (4), total bases (43), slugging percentage (.683), walks (13) and on-base percentage (.447)

– With a season earned run average of 1.27, Megan Brenton has the lowest tally in the MVC

– Her two saves is tied for second in the conference while her four victories is tied for eighth

– In 22 innings of work in 2023, Brenton has allowed seven runs, just four of which have been earned

– Brenton has fanned 20 batters while walking 15

– With her team up by a 3-2 score against Lipscomb in the fourth inning, Zoe Frossard hit a 2-run single to add some insurance as the Aces halted an 8-game losing streak

– The reigning MVC Newcomer of the Year has started all 23 games this season and is tied for third in MVC with 13 walks and 84 total plate appearances

– Ranks in a tie for 4th in the MVC with 70 at-bats while tied for 6th with 14 runs batted in

– Frossard hit the first home run of career on 2/10 vs. Eastern Kentucky while setting career mark with four RBI

– Seven of her 14 RBI came in the first three games of the season

– Opening day starter Erin Kleffman has picked up five victories in 2023 which is tied for 6th in the league

– She earned wins in each of her first four appearances of the season

– Kleffman earned win #5 on March 12 at Lipscomb after tossing a scoreless 4 2/3 innings

– The performance was huge for Kleffman, who entered the game allowing 22 runs, 19 of them earned, in her previous 8 2/3 frames