Week 6 Game Notes
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Evansville softball team will return home this weekend to host a three-game series with Missouri Valley Conference team Missouri State at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium. The Aces will take on the Bears in a doubleheader on Saturday before closing the series with a single game on Sunday. Both days are scheduled to begin at noon.
The Aces are looking to snap a five-game losing streak after most recently dropping a pair of midweek games at Middle Tennessee on Wednesday. Evansville fell 5-2 in game one against the Blue Raiders before a tough-luck 1-0 loss in the nightcap secured the sweep for MTSU.
Freshman
Kayla Fortner leads the team and the Valley with a .471 average at the plate. The Cedar Hill, Mo., native went 3-for-6 with a home run against the Blue Raiders and has notched a team-high 22 runs batted in on the season.
In the circle, sophomores
Taylor Perry and
Emily Morris earned their fourth and second starts of the season, respectively, in Wednesday’s doubleheader. Morris was tagged with the tough-luck loss, giving up just one hit as the Blue Raiders pushed across an unearned run to take the 1-0 win. Perry leads the staff with a 3.41 ERA in 39.0 innings of work. Junior
Sarah Patterson has seen the most time in the circle, accumulating a 5.16 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 57.0 innings this season.
Game Coverage:
**The Aces will be collecting baby items for a family that lost their home in Tuesday’s large house fire on Evansville’s north side. Fans who bring baby clothes (0-3 month), newborn Huggies Swaddler diapers, formula, bottles and other baby items will receive free admission Saturday. Regular admission is $7 for adults, $5 for youth/seniors**
Scouting the Bears
Missouri State Bears (11-9, 1-2 Missouri Valley Conference)
Defending MVC Tournament champions Missouri State bring an 11-9 overall record into this weekend’s matchup after most recently splitting with Eastern Illinois in a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday. The Bears have a 4-1 record against UE’s 2012 opponents, posting wins over SEMO (2), Western Illinois and Saint Louis while falling the UMKC.
Hitting:
The Bears are hitting .210 as a team with only four home runs on the year. Missouri State’s lineup is led by Ashley Brentz, who is batting .314 with a team-high 16 hits and seven RBI. Kristin Cutter leads the team with nine runs scored and three doubles while Caitlin Chapin has accounted for two of the Bears’ four homers, as she also has batted in seven runs at the plate.
Pitching:
Natalie Rose (7-2) enters this weekend with the second-best ERA in the league, averaging juts 1.29 runs allowed per game. Rose has tossed 78.2 innings for the Bears this season, tallying 83 strikeouts while allowing just 13 walks this year. Chelsea Jones (3-6) is also likely to see some time in the circle this weekend. Jones owns a 4.52 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 43.1 innings this season.
