HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University softball team opens Southland Conference play this weekend, hosting UIW for a three-game league series at North Oak Park.
 
The series between the Lady Lions (20-10, 0-0 SLC) and the visiting Cardinals (11-20, 2-1 SLC) opens with a 4 p.m. doubleheader Friday and concludes Saturday at noon.
 
All three games will be televised on ESPN+ and live stats will be available at LionSports.net/sidearmstats/softball. It will also be Alumni Weekend and former Lady Lions in attendance will be recognized prior to Saturday's series finale.
 
Southeastern is coming off a doubleheader sweep of Alcorn State Tuesday to open a seven-game home stand. Aeriyl Mass led SLU at the plate with a 4-for-6 showing and seven RBI, while Alexis Findley and Mary-Cathryn (MC) Comeaux earned victories in the circle.
 
The Lady Lions enter the series with a Southland-best .319 team batting average. Cam Goodman leads the team with a .449 batting average, as she and Mass (.394) rank second and fourth, respectively, in the Southland. Madison Rayner (.333), Bailey Krolczyk (.325), Lindsey Rizzo (.323) and Audrey Greely (.310) give SLU six regulars with a .300-plus batting average.
 
Rizzo (22, 4^th), Mass (20, 7^th) and Rayner (19, 10^th) all are in the conference top 10 for runs scored. Mass and Goodman are in the top two spots in the Southland with 21 and 17 stolen bases for a Lady Lion team that is second in Division I with 2.73 stolen bases per game.
 
Lexi Johnson leads Southeastern with six home runs, while Rayner paces the squad with 10 doubles and 24 RBI. Maddie Watson (three) and Rayner (two) give SLU three players with multiple home runs.
 
Southeastern is second in the league with a 2.96 team earned run average. Heather Zumo (10-3, 2.24 ERA), Comeaux (6-3, 3.99 ERA, 1 save), KK Ladner (3-1, 3.41 ERA, 1 save), Ellie DuBois (0-1, 4.11 ERA, 1 save) and Alyssa Romano (0-2, 2.58 ERA) all have double-digit appearances in the circle for the Lady Lions.
 
Southeastern will be facing a UIW team that has won three of its last four, including a win at Baylor Tuesday. The Cardinals are hitting .270 as a team behind Ryleigh Mata, who is hitting at a .430 clip. UIW is second in the Southland with 25 home runs, as Maddie Boldt (nine) and Avalon Sanchez (seven) occupy the top two spots on the league's individual home run leaderboard.
 
UIW enters the series with a 5.25 team earned run average and opponents are hitting .309 off Cardinal pitching. Ashley Trapp (3-4, 3.85 ERA, 1 save), Natalie Myers (3-3, 3.39 ERA, 1 save), Aaliyah Garcia (1-7, 5.25 ERA), Annie Gunther (2-3, 5.10 ERA, 1 save) and Madison Floyd (2-2, 7.44 ERA) have split time in the circle for UIW.
 
Southeastern will be looking to open Southland Conference play with a series win for the fourth straight season.
 
Following the series, SLU will close out a seven-game home stand with a 4 p.m. doubleheader versus Jackson State next Tuesday at North Oak Park. The games will be televised on ESPN+. Fans will be able to enjoy fireworks following the doubleheader and will receive a spirit item while supplies last.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Softball, follow @LionUpSoftball on Twitter and Instagram, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
HOME RUN CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the softball program are encouraged to join the Home Run Club. Lady Lion softball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Home Run Club and S Club (softball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern softball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events (softball, baseball, football and basketball), effective with the start of the 2018 football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.