CONWAY, Ark. – Back on the road for the final away series of the regular season, the Central Arkansas softball team heads to Kennesaw, Georgia to take on the Owls of Kennesaw State. Facing off in a three-game series, the Bears open the series on Saturday with a 1 p.m. CT doubleheader, then end the series on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT.
The Bears (20-24, 11-7 ASUN) are rolling after a series sweep over Lipscomb last weekend, having hit .364 over three games and outscored the Bisons 30-1. In particular,
Tremere Harris and
Morgan Nelson continued to lead the way, with Harris hitting .750 with a team-high six hits, and Nelson having one of the best power-hitting series in recent memory, hitting .714 with three bombs and nine RBI. Nelson was named the ASUN Player of the Week for her efforts.
Julia Petty was also dynamite against Lipscomb, earning her first ASUN Pitcher of the Week after earning two shutout wins over the Bisons. The junior tossed 12.0 innings, struck out nine, and recorded her ASUN-leading fourth shutout in conference games.
Central Arkansas last played Kennesaw State in 2022, facing off four times that year. After sweeping the Owls in a three-game series in Conway, the Bears and Owls met again in the ASUN tournament, a game that the Bears also won. Central Arkansas outscored Kennesaw State 31-5 over the four outings.
This season's Owls host the Bears with a 14-33 overall record and a 6-12 run in ASUN games. Over the last week, the Owls lost two of three to North Alabama over the weekend, then dropped a 10-7 decision at Georgia Tech on Tuesday. The Owls tallied seven hits and drew seven walks, but gave up a pair of late home runs to drop the outing against the Yellow Jackets.
Kennesaw State is led at the plate by Stella Henry, one of the most dangerous base runners in the ASUN. The sophomore is hitting .285 in 151 at bats, dropping down 43 hits and drawing 18 walks. But it's once she gets on base that she's the most dangerous, the Owl outfielder has 23 stolen bases this season, with 10 of them coming in league games.
In the circle, the Owls staff has a team ERA of 3.65, led by Melanie Bennett's 2.97. Bennett is 4-11 this season, recording 94.1 innings of work and striking out 64 batters. The team's staff has consisted of five pitchers, and they collectively have a 2-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio.
The Bears and Owls start the series on Saturday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. CT, then finish with a 12 p.m. start time on Sunday. All three games will be on ESPN+, with live stats also available online.
