Aces and Panthers meet for three games
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Looking to finish the regular season on a high note, the University of Evansville softball team travels to Cedar Falls, Iowa for a 3-game series against Northern Iowa. Friday’s opener begins at 5 p.m. while game two on Saturday starts at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s finale will be a 12 p.m. first pitch with all three games on ESPN+ and ESPN3.
Looking at the Match-up
– Last season, the Purple Aces and Panthers met at Cooper Stadium with UNI taking two out of three games
– In Cedar Falls, the Aces have dropped the last eight games versus the Panthers with the last win coming on March 30, 2014 by a 7-0 final
– The last road series versus UNI in 2021 saw the Panthers outscore UE by a 45-8 margin on their way to the 3-game sweep
Last Time Out
– Sunday’s rubber match against Illinois State saw the Redbirds score three in the second inning before winning by a final of 7-3 to clinch the series
– Alexa Davis hit her team-leading 7th home run in the game while Hannah Hood hit her third of 2023
Wood’s Hit Streak
– Recording at least one hit in all four games over the last week, Marah Wood extended her hit streak to 12 games
– It is the longest streak for the Purple Aces since Eryn Gould had a 12-game streak of her own in 2019
– Should she extend it to a 13th game, it would match Chandra Parr’s mark from 2015
– For Wood, it is her longest streak in her college career as she registered a hit in eight consecutive games in 2022.
Back at #1
– With one earned run scoring in her last seven innings, Megan Brenton lowered her ERA to 1.43 and retook the Missouri Valley Conference lead
– On April 29, Brenton picked up her league-leading 6th save of the season versus Illinois State and her .197 opponent batting average remains 5th in the league
– Brenton registered the save in both wins over the Salukis, combining to toss four shutout frames while giving up two hits and one walk while striking out four batters
– In 68 2/3 innings of work in 2023, Brenton has allowed 20 runs, just 14 of which have been earned; she has struck out 71 batters while walking 38
– On April 26, Brenton was named the Comeback Player of the Year at the Acespys, which is the annual UE Athletics awards show
– Brenton overcame a setback while battling an injury prior to the 2022 season but has returned to top form in 2023
Putting a Streak Together
– Jess Willsey has put together her longest hitting streak of the season, registering a hit in eight consecutive games
– Over that time, she is hitting .464 with 13 hits in 28 at-bats and her season average stands at a team-best .293
– Since March 19, Willsey is batting .355 with 27 hits in 76 at-bats
– Willsey finished the Illinois State series with five hits in seven trips to the plate
– In game two against Southern Illinois, Willsey was a perfect 3-3 with four RBI in a 4-0 win for the Aces; the win came less than a day after SIU opened the series with a 17-1 victory
– Willsey has six home runs on the season, which is second on the team
