Softball | 3/17/2016 11:31:00 AM
Live Stats (G1, G2, G3) | Video | Audio ABILENE – Abilene Christian softball puts its six-game winning streak on the line Friday when it begins a three-game series against its Southland Conference rivals from Lamar. Game times are 6 p.m. Friday and 12 p.m. Saturday for a doubleheader; however, a chance of thunderstorms may alter the schedule.
Live stats will be made available for all three games. There also will be an audio stream Friday and video for both ends of Saturday's twin bill.
The Wildcats (9-11, 3-0 Southland) got off to a fine start in conference play last weekend, sweeping a three-game series at Southeastern Louisiana, which beat them two of three times last spring. ACU won by scores of 7-3, 6-5 and 13-2 and came from behind in all three contests thanks to superior clutch hitting and ability to capitalize on nine opponent errors.
ACU hit .293 vs. the Lady Lions led by sophomore
Holly Neese, who earned an honorable mention for Southland Conference Hitter of the Week with three home runs, eight RBI and six runs scored. She also drew three walks (two intentional) and was hit by a pitch.
Sophomore
Peyton Hedrick also hit a home run and senior
Demi McNulty batted .429 with three runs and three RBI.
Neese's five home runs this spring matched her career season high and have her tied for third place within the conference. She's additionally ranked among the league leaders with a .611 slugging percentage, 18 RBI and four sacrifice hits.
Three Wildcat pitchers complimented the offense by posting a 1.84 earned run average with 10 strikeouts and no home runs allowed. Redshirt sophomore
Hannah Null won games as a starter and reliever in finishing 2-0 with seven Ks, freshman
Allison Turner saved game one, and junior
Casey-May Huff limited the Lady Lions to only four hits over 5.0 innings of work in game three.
The sweep placed ACU atop the Southland standings next to McNeese, which clobbered Sam Houston State through three games in Huntsville by run-rule scores of 10-1, 12-4 and 11-1. Central Arkansas, Incarnate Word and Lamar all won their opening conference series, 2-1, while Nicholls and Stephen F. Austin split their shortened two-game set.
Lamar (14-9, 2-1 Southland) won the last two games of its series at Houston Baptist, 4-0 and 8-2, and Wednesday night swept a doubleheader at Jackson State.
The Cardinals are tops in the league with a .332 batting average and have the seventh-lowest ERA at 3.44.
ACU is hitting .269 though 20 games and has an ERA of 4.27, while its fielding percentage is at .960.
