NORMAL, Ill. – Wednesday's 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Championship opener saw the 10^th-seeded University of Evansville softball team earn a 4-1 win over the #7 seed Drake on at Marian Kneer Stadium.
 
With the win, the Purple Aces earned their first win in the championship since 2013.  Hannah Hood went 1-3 with two RBI, a walk and run to pace the offense.  Zoe Frossard, Alexa Davis and Taylor Howe recorded two hits apiece.  Sydney Weatherford pitched a gem, allowing one run on nine hits.
 
Frossard looked to get the Purple Aces rolling in the early moments, opening the game with a single to left.  Brooke Voss later reached on an error before the runners were stranded on base.  Sydney Weatherford returned the favor in the bottom of the frame, holding the Bulldogs scoreless with a pair of runners left on base.
 
Hannah Hood opened the second with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Alexa Davis came through with a bases hit through the right side to bring in Hood and give UE a 1-0 lead.  Davis and Taylor Howe came through once again to get things rolling in the top of the fourth.  The duo each posted their second single of the day to set the table for Marah Wood.  Her RBI groundout made it a 2-0 game.
 
Weatherford retired eight batters in a row, but with two outs in the bottom of the 4^th, Drake strung together three hits in a row to pick up their first run of the game.
 
It did not take long for the Aces to respond.  Frossard and Jess Willsey led the 5^th off with back-to-back singles while advancing to second and third on Jenna Nink's groundout.  That brought Hood to the plate and she came through with a 2-run single that pushed the lead to 4-1.
 
From there, Weatherford got the job done, shutting down the Bulldogs to clinch the win.  UE advances to face #2 seed UNI on Thursday at 4 p.m.