HCU Huskies (13-18, 3-3 SLC) vs Northwestern State Demons (16-14, 3-3 SLC)
HCU gets back to action this weekend with a three-game Southland Conference series against Northwestern State University at Lady Demon Diamond in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
The series pits two teams tied with one another early in the conference slate. Both teams sit at 3-3, with each having won a road series and lost a home series.
The Huskies, now 13-18 overall, defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi twice in three games to open SLC play, but then dropped two of three to Incarnate Word last weekend at Husky Field.
HCU and UIW traded shutouts on Friday with
Lyndie Swanson scattering six hits and working out of several jams to secure the 4-0 victory and a split of the twin-bill.
The rubber game on Saturday went in favor of the Cardinals however. After falling behind 7-0, the Huskies battled back to send the game to extra innings.Â
Haylie Savage had a three-run homer in a four-run fifth, and
AB Garcia's bases-loaded triple tied the game in the sixth.
UIW would then score four in the top of the 10th inning to capture an 11-7 win and win the series.
Garcia and Savage continue to drive the HCU offense, with both now in double-digits for multi-hit games on the season.Â
Now hitting .408, Garcia is now second in the Southland in batting average and first in hits. She has a .927 OPS and is 14-16 in stolen bases.
Savage has team-highs of four homers and 24 RBI to go along with a .337 batting average and .857 OPS. She is currently hitting .476 with runners in scoring position and is fourth in the league in hits.
Avery Drake has continued her hot play of late. She has raised her batting average to .302 during her current seven-game hitting streak while hitting safely in 10 of her last 11 outings. She is 12-14 in stolen bases.
Riley Martin has reached base in her last nine plate appearances, and
Jasie Roberts is second on the squad with 15 RBI.
Katy Janes and Swanson continue to hold things down in the circle.Â
Janes is now 5-6 overall with a 2.33 ERA and nine complete games after Friday's tough 3-0 loss to Incarnate Word.
The aforementioned Swanson defeated UIW on Friday to raise her record to 6-5 to go with a 3.85 ERA.
Northwestern State is 16-14 overall after taking two of three from Nicholls in Thibodaux last weekend, and dropping a mid-week game at home to Lousiana Tech on Tuesday.Â
Makenzie Chaffin, a junior outfielder from Bossier City, Louisiana, ignites the Lady Demon offense, hitting .371 with two homers and 17 RBI. Junior shortstop Keely Dubois of Robeline, Lousiana, is batting .314 with a team-best 22 RBI.
The NSU pitching staff is led by Maggie Darr, a sophomore right-hander from Missouri City, who posts a 7-5 record and 3.33 ERA. She has 75 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched while making 10 starts and 10 relief appearnces.
Bronte Rhoden, a senior right-hander from Plano checks in with a 2-2 record and 2.65 ERA.
HCU and NSU have met 29 times. The Lady Demons are riding a current eight-game winning streak in the series, including a three-game sweep last year at Husky Field.Â
First pitch for the Friday doubleheader is at 4 pm, with Saturday's finale scheduled for noon.Â
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