Game #19
Lindenwood (9-9, 0-0 OVC)
at Evansville (0-16, 0-0 MVC)
Match Information:
Date: Wednesday, Mar. 6, 2024
Location: Evansville, Ind.
Venue: Dorothy Cooper Stadium
Start Times: 3:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. CT
All-Time Series: 2-0
Last Meeting: W, 4-3

On-Tap
Lindenwood softball will travel to Evansville, Ind. on Wednesday to take on the Aces of Evansville University for a non-conference double header. The Lions are coming off a perfect weekend at home with four wins at the Lindenwood Invite.

Last Weekend Recap
The first weekend of March saw the Lions go 4-0 at their home tournament with two wins against Green Bay and two wins over Bellarmine. Lindenwood was dominant on the mound with Amanda Weyh and Avery Wapp both throwing two complete games each.

The duo combined for 32 strikeouts and zero walks on the weekend while holding their opponents to a .176 batting average. Weyh pitched 13.0 innings while striking out 14 and throwing two shutouts. She held her opponents to a .095 BA. Weyh also went3-5 at the plate with four RBI while adding a double and a triple.

Wapp had a career day against Green Bay on Saturday as she struck out 14 batters against Green Bay on Saturday in a 4-1 win. She threw 14.0 innings this weekend with a 1.29 ERA while throwing two complete games. She also had 18 strikeouts while allowing just two runs.

At the plate, Lindenwood hit .306 as a team while bringing in a total of 17 RBI. Irelynn West, Ashley Gerber, Madisen Noll and Dallis Darnell all had a team-high four hits throughout the weekend.

West led the way with a .308 batting average while going 4-13 at the plate while bringing in three runs. Noll and Darnell also scored four runs on the weekend. Gerber and Darnell also drove in three runs each.

OVC Preseason Poll
Southeast Missouri State was selected to win the 2024 Ohio Valley Conference softball crown as voted on by the league's head coaches and communications directors last week. Lindenwood was picked to finish in seventh.

Eastern Illinois earned six first-place votes as they were selected to finish in second followed by UT Martin and Southern Indiana. The Lions finished last season with a 16-32 overall record including a 8-15 conference record. Lindenwood made the OVC Tournament during their first Division I season, losing a heart-breaker to Tennessee State in 10 innings.

Statistical Leaders
Batting Average: Ashley Gerber (.355)
Hits: Mya Bethany/Chloe Honchar (13)
RBI: Irelynn West (6)
ERA: Amanda Weyh (1.75)
Strikeouts: Amanda Weyh (56)

Head Coach Erin Brown
Erin Brown is entering her third season as the head coach of the Lindenwood softball team in 2024. In 2023, the Lions went 16-32, including an 8-15 mark against OVC competition. Lindenwood finished with a winning record at home (12-10) and swept eventual conference champion Eastern Illinois late in the year at Lou Brock Sports Complex.

Under Brown's guidance, the Lindenwood softball team capped a historic 2022 season in the NCAA Midwest Regional and a 35-13 overall record. The Lions' trip to the regional tournament marked the first in program history, as the team claimed the No. 4 seed. Lindenwood earned a notable win over No. 2 UIndy in late April, the highest-ranked victory in program history.

Prior to Lindenwood, Brown was the head coach at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., where she accumulated a 348-302 record in 13 seasons at the helm of the program. Over her final seven seasons with the Bulldogs, Brown amassed 233 wins and a .643 winning percentage. Brown led TSU to five NCAA Regional Appearances, and coached three All-Americans, 12 first-team All-Conference selections, 10 second-team All-Conference honorees, and four conference major award winners in 13 campaigns. The Bulldogs made the GLVC Tournament in every season under Brown.

Up Next
Lindenwood will be back at home this weekend to start conference play as the Lions take on the Cougars of SIUE starting on Saturday, March 9th with a double header. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.