CONWAY, Ark. – The University of Central Arkansas softball team will host Sam Houston for the three-game stint at Farris Field in the Southland Conference home opener. The Bears are riding a three-game winning streak after a sweep of ACU last weekend. UCA enters the weekend with a 16-10 overall record and a conference record of 4-2, while Sam Houston has a 7-14 record and is 4-2 in conference play. Central Arkansas and Sam Houston will play a doubleheader on Friday, followed by a single game on Saturday.
 
Jaylee Engelkes has been on fire as of late and earned the SLC Hitter of the Week for her effort against ACU. She was a force to be reckoned with at the plate with a 6-for-8 weekend. She drove in eight runs and walked three times. She only got out twice all weekend. She led the team over the weekend with a .750 batting average and a slugging percentage of 1.500. She produced three doubles and blasted a home run.
 
Jenna Wildeman leads the Bears with a .467 batting average and has tallied a team-high 35 hits. She has a team-high 20 stolen bases and leads the team with 24 runs scored. Mary Kate Brown is second on the team with a .443 batting average, 17 runs scored, and is tied for the team lead with 19 RBIs. Cylla is tied for the team lead with 19 RBIs and is the leader with four home runs. Kaylyn Shepherd is second on the team with three homers.
 
In the circle, UCA is led by Kayla Beaver with a 1.06 ERA and she has an 8-3 record. She leads the team with 58 strikeouts, 66.1 innings pitched, and nine complete games. Rio Sanchez is second on the team with a 2.37 ERA and has a 4-3 record. She has tallied 29 strikeouts in 41.1 innings in the circle with five complete games. Jordan Johnson is third on the staff with a 2.90 ERA with a 4-4 record. She is second on the team with 48 strikeouts and 48.1 innings pitched with five complete games.
 
The Bears and Bearkats have met 36 times and the series is split, 18-18. However, UCA holds a 10-8 record at home against Sam Houston. The Bearkats have won the last four meetings, including a 5-2 win in the last matchup on March 16, 2019.
 
Sam Houston is led by Ellie Grill with a .345 batting average and she is tied for the team lead with 10 RBIs. Emily Telg leads the team with three home runs. Brooke Malia is second on the team with a .302 batting average. The Bearkats pitching staff is led by Mika Vento with a 3.88 ERA with 39.2 innings pitched. She leads the team with 27 strikeouts and has a 3-1 record.
 
First pitch for game one of the doubleheader is scheduled for 5 p.m. and live stats can be found here.
 
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