CONWAY, Ark. – On the road for the next ASUN series, the Central Arkansas softball team heads to Charlotte, N.C. to take on Queens for the first time in program history. The Bears kick off the series with a 1 p.m. CT start time for Saturday's doubleheader, and close the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
The Bears (14-21, 5-4 ASUN) improved to 14-21 on the year after defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Wednesday, taking a 9-0 win at home to extend their winning streak to six games. The Bears put together seven hits, eight walks, and eight stolen bases to take down the Golden Lions and continue their momentum from the last two weeks. Seven Bears recorded a hit, six Bears walked, and six Bears stole a base, including three swipes from Renee Christian.
 
In nine conference games so far this season, the Beras have been a much different team than they were at the start of the year. Hitting .293 as a team, the lineup has been bolstered by the top five batters all hitting over .300. Kylie Griffin leads the way with a .375 average, but is followed closely by Tremere Harris and Lilly Hood, who each hit .370.
 
Queens (15-16, 2-7 ASUN) had to cancel both midweeks this week, meaning the last time the Royals played was last weekend, an ASUN series against North Florida. The Royals took the series 2-1, winning games one and three while dropping the middle game. Autumn Courtney, Queens' ace pitcher, tossed a perfect game in the third outing, recording ten strikeouts against the Ospreys. Courtney leads all Division I pitchers in strikeouts, recording 179 Ks this season.
 
At the plate, the Royals rely on the production of Ashlyn Mickler and Kayla Smith. The duo is responsible for nearly 40 percent of their team's hits, each with 29, with no other teammate reaching 15 hits yet this year. The pair also steal the majority of their squad's bases, logging 23 of the 43 swipes this season.
 
Queens is in its second season of reclassification to Division I, having made the jump to the ASUN last season. This weekend's series marks the first meeting between the Bears and Royals, the third of three first-time series for the Bears.
 
First pitch against Queens is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with Saturday's outing being a doubleheader. All games will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available for all games.