BEAUMONT, Texas – Looking to build off last weekend's sweep at Incarnate Word, the University of Central Arkansas softball program returns to south Texas for a crucial three-game series at Lamar beginning 4 p.m. Friday with a doubleheader and wrapping up with a 1 p.m. contest on Saturday at the Lamar Softball Complex.
UCA (17-17, 4-5) has won five of their last six games and narrowly missed knocking off Mississippi State on Tuesday. The Bears will bring the No. 1 scoring offense in the Southland Conference to Beaumont, averaging 5.45 runs per game while also leading the SLC in slugging percentage (.452) and doubles.
MEET THE CARDINALS
For the second-straight weekend, UCA will take on a team that calls themselves the Cardinals. However, this week, the road-test will be considerably tougher. In her first season as the head coach at Lamar, Amy Hooks has already seen a resurgence in the program and has guided her team to 10-2 home record thus far. Lamar (15-18, 6-3 SLC) is right in the thick of things for the Southland regular-season title.
Shaina Amir has appeared in 31 games and is hitting .311 for the Cardinals. She is second on the squad in both batting average and RBI. However, In the circle is where Lamar is really tough. Erin Kyle has posted a strong 6-3 record while recording a 1.35 ERA over 46.2 innings. She is the go-to arm for the Cardinals and one that the Bears should see often this weekend.
TALE OF THE TAPE
| Central Arkansas |
|
Lamar |
| .300 |
Team Batting Average |
.243 |
| 22 |
Home Runs |
17 |
| 73-80 |
Stolen Bases-Attempted |
45-59 |
| 3.84 |
Team ERA |
3.36 |
| .948 |
Fielding Percentage |
.946 |
BEAR TO WATCH
When the Bears needed to get out of a jam last weekend, they turned to senior Ellie Reaves. After shutting down UIW through the final 2.2 innings on Saturday night to earn the victory, Reaves was called upon again Saturday, this time to close out the series sweep. She posted a 0.00 ERA with 5 strikeouts, recording one win and one save in the three-game stretch and was named Honorable Mention for the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week for her efforts.
In a series where runs could be at a premium, UCA will need its pitching rotation, along with their bullpen, to be stellar in order to bring some wins back to Conway. Look for Reaves to continue her shutdown role where she has become one of the most reliable options for head coach David Kuhn.
FOLLOW ALONG
A live stream for all three games this weekend will be available through the Lamar Softball Twitter page. That stream, along with live stats can be accessed by following the links at the top of this page. Stay up to date with all things UCA Softball by following the program on Twitter @UCASoftball and @UCASports.
