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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Home play continues for the University of Evansville softball team as they play host to Loyola in a 3-game set this weekend at Cooper Stadium.
 
Evansville, who is 8-12 on the season, faces the Ramblers in a doubleheader on Saturday at noon with Sunday's series finale also set for a 12 p.m. start time.
 
Home play finally began on Tuesday as the Aces took on Northern Illinois at Cooper Stadium.  Morgan Florey hit a 2-run home run in the first inning as UE won by a 4-2 margin.  Florey went the distance in the circle, giving up two runs on six hits while Brittany Hay scored three of the Aces' four runs. 
 
UE went 2-2 last weekend at the John Cropp Classic, hosted by the University of Kentucky.  Evansville posted wins over Dayton and Drexel while its losses both came against ranked squads - #19 Kentucky and #17 Michigan.
 
Tuesday's home opener saw Brittany Hay go 2-2 from the plate with three runs scored.  Hay pushed her season average to .275 and leads the way with 13 runs scored.  She ranks second on the team with 14 hits and had a clutch triple in the home opener, scoring one of three runs as the Aces finished with four in the game.
 
Sophomore Morgan Florey has thrown a team-high 64.2 innings this season and leads the squad with a 2.27 ERA.  She has struck out 88 batters while earning six wins on the season.  Tuesday's home opener saw her go the distance while giving up two runs on six hits against NIU. 
 
Evansville has played the 22nd-hardest schedule in the nation according to the NCAA website.  UE's opponents have combined to post a .608 win percentage.  UE begins the weekend looking for its first MVC opening series win since 2008.  That season, the Aces opened at home taking two out of three from Drake.  In 2014, the Aces were 1-1 in a shortened series against Indiana State to open MVC play.
 
The Ramblers sit atop the MVC with a record of 16-4.  Alyssa Mannucci leads the offense with a .314 batting average.  She has driven in 11 runs and is tied for the team lead with 13 walks.  Jordyn Cordell has hit .310 on the season.  Kiley Jones has won seven games in the circle for Loyola, checking in with a 1.58 ERA.
 

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