Aces and Racers to meet up on Thursday at 4/6 p.m.
  With Missouri Valley Conference play set to begin on Saturday, the University of Evansville softball team will have one last tune-up on Thursday as they head to Murray State for a doubleheader.
Originally set for Wednesday, the doubleheader has been pushed back a day in order to improve playing conditions. Game one will begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday with the second starting at roughly 6 p.m.
Evansville played in the Indiana Classic over the weekend in Bloomington, falling just short in the finale against the Hoosiers. IU posted two runs in the first inning, but the Aces pitching staff held them scoreless for the duration of the contest. A solo shot by Chandra Parr brought the Aces within one, but IU held on for the 2-1 win.
In Evansville’s three games in the Indiana Classic, Parr batted .429 for the Purple Aces. She drew a walk in the weekend opener against Indiana before starting Sunday off with a 1-for-3 performance against Ohio University. Her best game of the weekend came in the finale versus the Hoosiers where she posted two of the Aces’ four hits, going 2/3 with a solo home run in a 2-1 loss.
One of the top pitchers in the Missouri Valley Conference kept it rolling over the weekend, throwing 8 2/3 scoreless innings. Morgan Florey pitched in both games on Sunday for the Aces, including 2 2/3 innings against the Bobcats. She struck out five batters and gave up two hits. In six innings against Indiana University, she held the Hoosiers off the board while striking out six more batters in her time in the circle.
Murray State comes into the matchup with an 8-10 mark, splitting games over the weekend against Ball State and Jacksonville.  Jessica Twaddle is the top offensive threat for the Racers, batting .411 and slugging .625 for MSU. She also reached base a team-best 48.4% of the time. She also paces the Racers with 9 RBIs and 7 doubles.
In the circle, the 1-2 punch of Mason Robinson and Haven Campbell had recorded ERA’s of 2.12 and 2.30, respectively.
This weekend, the Purple Aces will play at home for the first time this season, opening conference play on Saturday with a 12 p.m. doubleheader against Drake.
