Aces to play in final weekend tournament
Just one more non-conference tournament is on the schedule for the University of Evansville softball team as they head to Lexington, Ky. this weekend for the John Cropp Classic.
Evansville, who starts the weekend with a record of 5-10, open up on Friday at 10 a.m. versus #19 Kentucky. Later in the day, the Purple Aces face off against 8-7 Dayton at noon. Saturday’s action begins with a matchup versus 17th-ranked Michigan at 10 a.m. before taking on Kent State at 2 p.m. The Golden Flashes are 7-7. The event wraps up on Sunday against Drexel, who is 2-0 coming into the tournament.
Last week, the Aces played at the Courtyard Marriott Classic in Norman, Okla. before facing Oklahoma State in a single game on Tuesday. UE went 1-5 on the trip, earning an 8-7 win on Sunday against Northwestern State. The tenacious UE squad played well, especially against #9 Oklahoma as they scored 7 of the 8 runs allowed by the Sooners over the weekend.
Hayli Scott batted .625 with 5 hits in 8 trips to the plate at the weekend tournament in Oklahoma and finished the week at .600. She had a home run and 5 RBI on the weekend and got it started with a pinch hit RBI on Friday versus WKU. Saturday against Northwestern State, she had another big pinch hit, knocking in 2 runs. The Saturday finale saw her come through late with another pinch hit – a 2-run homer as UE rallied against Oklahoma. Scott went 2-3 on Sunday versus NSU. For the season, Scott leads the squad with a .375 average.
Chandra Parr batted .250 in six games last week, but added two home runs to her tally as she stands at 28 in her career. The 2-time All-MVC First Team player is just two away from tying the program mark of 30, which was set by Krista Price. Price played for the Purple Aces from 2007 through 2010.
Sophomore Morgan Florey has thrown a team-high 42.0 innings this season and leads the squad with a 2.83 ERA. She has struck out 45 batters while earning three wins on the season. At the plate, she continues to be a force, checking in with a .325 average as she leads the team with 10 RBIs. Florey hit a pair of home runs last weekend, both coming against the host Sooners.
Junior Brittany Hay batted .364 with two home runs at the Courtyard Marriott Tournament. Hay had 4 hits in 11 at-bats. She recorded a hit on Friday against the #9 Sooners before hitting a pinch hit homer on Saturday versus Northwestern State. She finished off the weekend in style against NSU going 2-3 with a walk-off solo home run to lead the inning off and clinch the win.
