Softball Set to Compete in Evansville for the Weekend

NASHVILLE, Tenn.-- Belmont University Softball is set to head to Evansville, Ind. for a weekend series against the Purple Aces.

Due to forecasted weather for Friday afternoon the game has been moved to Sunday. Saturday's game will now begin at 1 p.m. CT and the teams with face off in a double header on Sunday beginning at 12 p.m. CT.

What's Bruin 

• Belmont claimed victory over the Lady Hilltoppers in a 2-0 win, now holding  a 17-12 record moving into the weekend
• The Bruins are 3-3 in Missouri Valley Conference play with two wins over Southern Illinois and a win against Illinois State 
• Belmont produced 7 hits from 6 athletes, Kathryn Flowers went 2-2 on the night with an RBI single
• Emma Summers earned her fourth win of the season combining for 9 strikeouts with Maya Johnson
• The Bruins took the series from the Salukis with Emily Cockrill's walk-off homerun in a 4-3 victory 
• Belmont defeated Southern Illinois in the second matchup of the weekend 8-5 where Kristen Green posted two home runs both for two RBI
• The Bruins fell to the Salukis in the first game of the series 5-2
• Nicole Hughes and Brenna Blume also got into the home run action adding one to their name over the week
• Belmont fell to the Racers 3-2 in a nine inning matchup, Maya Johnson posted 9 strikeouts, Emma Summers added two
• In the 4-1 win over the Redbirds Maya Johnson earned her 100th strikeout of the season
• Johnson reached this accolade in just 15 appearances in the circle in 69 innings
• Johnson was named Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the week after her debut on Tuesday, February 14 
• The Bruins earned the sixth spot in the preseason poll announced by the Missouri Valley Conference office January 31 
• Belmont finished 33-17 last season finding themselves in the Championship matchup against Murray State

Bruin Numbers 

• Green heads the Bruins with a .350 batting average and a .538 slugging percentage 
• Emily Cockrill posts 29 hits on the season 
• Cockrill tallies seven doubles, Green and Hughes record six 
• Kaley Varner and Green lead the Bruins in home runs with three
• Johnson holds the twelfth spot in the nation in strikeouts while leading the MVC in strikeouts (135) and victories (11) 
• The Bruins rank second in the MVC in stolen bases with 14 

Scouting Report

• Evansville holds a 15-16 and 1-5 MVC record moving into the weekend
• The Purple Aces defeated Bradley in the first conference matchup of the season but have not won a conference game since
• Hannah Hood posts a .305 average on the season with 25 hits
• Megan Brenton posts a 1.26 ERA in 15 appearances in the circle for the Purple Aces
• Mikayla Jolly holds a 2.32 ERA with 37 strikeouts on the season

New Era

• Belmont is entering their first year in the MVC after over a decade in the Ohio Valley Conference
• Belmont joins UIC and Murray State as MVC newcomers. 
• The Bruins have been voted sixth in the MVC preseason poll, receiving one first place vote and 67 voting points from the league coaches
• Valparaiso was picked as the preseason favorite
• Belmont will compete against Indiana State, Murray State, Southern Illinois, UIC, Illinois State, Missouri State, Valparaiso, Evansville, Drake, and Northern Iowa in the MVC

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