CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas softball team takes its six-game winning streak on the road to start ASUN play, opening the conference schedule at North Alabama this weekend. The Bears and Lions will play a double-header on Saturday at 1 p.m., then finish the three-game series at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
The Bears (18-8) start conference play on a run, winners of six-straight games. Last time out, the Bears scored in the top of the seventh to hold on at ULM, thanks to a game-winning run by
Renee Christian. Central Arkansas has outscored its opponents 36-13 over the winning streak, including a pair of games with double-digit runs.
As the page turns to conference play, the top of the order has been dangerous over the first 26 games.
Addie Graham his hitting an even .400, with Christian at .396 and
Trinity Brandon at .393. The trio has a combined 84 hits, 22 doubles, three triples and six home runs. Graham and Christian also each have double-digit steals, and Brandon ranks third in the entire nation with 12 doubles.
Defensively, the Bears are hovering in the top-40 in fielding percentage, but have absolutely shined when it comes to turning two. The Bears have 20 double plays this season, good for second in the country and only one behind the leader, Arizona. Ten players have been involved in at least one, and
Kaitlyn Graham (19) and
LJ Smith (13) have seen action in most of them.
As Central Arkansas enters conference play, the Bears hold a seven-game winning streak over the Lions, including a pair of sweeps last season. In Florence, Central Arkansas averaged eight runs per game, and then in Conway, allowed just four runs across the three-game series.
North Alabama enters the weekend 17-5, having lost its first home game of the season on Tuesday against Ole Miss. The Lions put up a fight, falling 4-2, and led until the fifth inning, when the Rebels started getting the bats going.
The Lions have a pair hitting over .400 this season, with Briley Dover (.446) and Holly Merritt (.420), and it hasn't all been singles, the pair combines for ten doubles and 14 home runs. They lead a UNA offense that hits .325 as a team, with 28 homers in 22 games. Eight Lions have gone yard this season, and the Lions have scored 150 runs already this season.
The series against North Alabama begins on Saturday at 1 p.m., the first game of a double-header. The series closes on Sunday, also at 1 p.m. All games will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available for all three games.
