CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas softball team is back on the road this weekend, taking on North Alabama in the second ASUN series of the season. The Bears and Lions will compete in a doubleheader on Friday, with first pitch at 1 p.m., the close the series on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Bears (11-17, 0-2 ASUN) put up a good fight against No. 14 Arkansas on Tuesday, battling one of the top offenses in the country for seven innings. Central Arkansas's efforts marked the Bears as the first non-SEC team to play in Fayetteville and hold Arkansas to fewer than nine runs, play seven innings, and was just the second non-SEC team to go to Bogle Park and score three runs.
Bailie Runner and
Madge Layfield both pitched well against the Hogs, each going three innings and allowing four hits. Both pitchers stayed in control and limited free offense, and induced a lot of short, small contact for the defense to clean up. Offensively, although Central Arkansas put together five hits, they were timely and in spurts, which allowed the Bears to piece them together to put some runs through.
Now 28 games into the season, the Bears' numbers are starting to take shape.
Kylie Griffin and
Addie Graham continue to lead at the plate, with Griffin hitting .389 and Graham at .363. The pair have a combined 70 hits, 11 doubles and 14 stolen bases. The Bears' third basemen continues to be a tough strikeout, with just three Ks in over 100 plate appearances.
North Alabama (22-6, 2-1 ASUN) has won three-straight entering the weekend, after taking a run-rule victory over Tennessee Tech on Tuesday. With a non-conference strength of schedule ranked 218, the Lions have been able to rack up wins, and started ASUN play with a 2-1 series win over Lipscomb.
The Lions have two of the better hitters in the conference, with Hailey Jones hitting .434 and Briley Dover hitting an even .400. The pair has a combined 83 hits, 18 doubles and 14 stolen bases. They were both named Preseason All-ASUN infielders, and have each hit four triples and three-plus home runs.
UNA's pitching staff also has good numbers, with a team ERA of 1.83 and 157 strikeouts. Emily Simon holds a team-best 1.48 ERA, with an 8-2 record and 52 strikeouts. The Lions have three pitchers in the top-10 of the ASUN in ERA, and the team's mark ranks sixth in the entire nation.
First pitch on Friday is set for 1 p.m., with the second game approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Saturday's series finale is also set for 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online.
