ADA – After spending the last two weeks at home, the East Central University softball team will hit the road for a four-game Great American Conference series at Henderson State, March 23-45 in Arkadelphia, Ark. The teams will play doubleheaders each day, with Friday's starting at 1 p.m. and Saturday's at noon.
The Tigers are 13-13 overall and 8-8 in the GAC after splitting their last series with Ouachita Baptist. After the games, Juniors
Breecia Crawford and
Kahlie Barrett are now leading the team at the plate, with batting averages over .400 for the season.
Crawford is hitting .431, with 22 hits, 15 runs, five doubles, two homeruns and nine RBIs. Barrett adds a .419 average, 13 hits, four runs and five RBIs.
Freshman
Angel Stoker and sophomore
Caitlin Kneblik picked up the wins in the circle. Stoker now has a 5-2 record, 44 hits and 31 runs allowed and has struck out 15 in her 46.1 innings. Kneblik moved to 3-1, with 38 hits and 25 runs allowed and four Ks in 31.2 innings pitched.
The Reddies come into the series with a 15-12 overall mark and a 7-9 record when playing league teams. HSU has been on the road for the last two weeks, going 2-5 against Arkansas Tech and Southeastern. The Reddies have done better at home, with a 4-3 mark this season.
Kaitlyn Felder and Madie Green lead HSU with averages over .370 for the year. Felder has a .375 average, nine hits, three runs and 11 RBIs, while Green adds a .373 average, 31 hits, 18 runs and 22 RBIs.
The Reddies have seen seven players in the circle this year, with two pitching over 30 innings. Sydney Bonner has seen the most action, a 4-6 record, four complete games, 67 hits and 39 runs allowed and 21 Ks in her 57.0 innings.
Since 2011, the Tigers and HSU have meet on 33 previous occasions, with ECU holding a 24-9 lead overall and a 19-5 mark when playing as GAC opponents. The Tigers also hold a 9-3 advantage when playing the Reddies in Arkadelphia.
