CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas softball team is on the road for its first ASUN series away from home in 2023, traveling to North Alabama for a three-game series against the Lions. First pitch on Friday has moved to 4 p.m., with Saturday's games at 1 and 3 p.m.
The Bears (18-7, 3-0 ASUN) weren't able to get either of their midweeks in, suspending play against Memphis on Tuesday before canceling Wednesday's game against Middle Tennessee, so the team has been itching to play since sweeping North Florida last weekend. And for good reason, Central Arkansas batted .420 against the Ospreys, hitting 16 extra base hits with seven home runs.
Kylie Griffin,
Morgan Nelson and
Colleen Bare all hit .500 or better last weekend, combining for 13 hits, three doubles and four home runs, driving in 11 runs against the Ospreys. The three-game set moved Griffin's season batting average up to .338, the highest on the team. Her 24 hits lead the team, and she's one of four players with at least 20 hits this season.
Last season's series with the Lions, also on the road for the Bears, ended in a 2-1 advantage for Central Arkansas.
Tremere Harris hit .500 in those three games, including a pair of doubles, and the whole lineup showed poise at the plate, striking out only eight times in 91 total at bats.
North Alabama hosts the Bears with a 17-6 record, but started conference play 0-3 after getting swept by Jacksonville State in its opening series. Felicity Frame and Georgia Land played well against the Gamecocks, each hitting .400, and Land drawing four walks in three games. But the struggles of the rest of the lineup were debilitating, as the team hit just .169 in the series.
On the year, Frame holds a team-best .476 batting average, with 39 hits on the year. The junior has only struck out four times in 82 at bats, and gets on base at a .494 clip. Sidney Bevis also hits above .350, connecting on pitches at a .360 average, and is second on the team with 27 hits and 26 RBI.
In the circle, sophomore pitcher Elena Escobar leads the team with a 0.71 ERA, tossing 39.2 innings. She's struck out 33 batters, compared to just nine walks, and holds batters to a .193 batting average. Earlier in March, she threw a six-hit shutout against Indiana State.
Friday's start has been moved up an hour to 4 p.m., with Saturday's doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. All three games are on ESPN+, with live stats available on the schedule page.
