Softball Takes on NCCAA #1 Belhaven

3/17/2016 10:34:00 AM

By: Brad Welborn - LC Sports Information

Coming off their 5th series win this year earlier this week against Hardin-Simmons the Lousiana College Lady Wildcats will travel to Jackson, MS to take on a very talented Belhaven team this weekend. The three game series had a slight change in the game times due to potential rain in the area but all three games are expected to be played on Saturday (Game 1 at 1pm and Game 2 at 3pm) and Sunday (2pm).

"We've been surviving with our defense and our pitching staff up to this point." That is what Coach Bankston said after the win on Tuesday night and the Lady Wildcats will certainly look to continue that this weekend. Savannah Settle (10-1) will start game 1 on Friday afternoon coming off her first loss of the seaon on Monday but a dominating 5.0+ innings on Tuesday where she only allowed 1 hit to Hardin-Simmons. Settle has a 1.20 ERA on the season with 78 strikeouts in 76.0 innings of work.

Game two will be Darian Thacker who also had a great start to the week pitching a complete game, 2-hit, shutout in the Lady Wildcats 3-0 win on Monday. The contrasting styles of Settle and Thacker give the Lady Wildcats options to keep oppsoing batters off balance going forward. Thaker (3-2) has a 1.72 ERA in 36.2 innings pitched so far this year.

The Lady Wildats will look to get the bats back to form after a series with Hardin-Simmons that saw the team get 19 hits in the three games but only scoreseven runs. Mattie Stine and Jayde Westbrook still pace the Lady Wildcats with .423 and .357 averages, and Westbrook is swinging a hot bat with .444 average this week.

Even with the odd Monday, Tuesday games this week Coach Bankston is not concerned about the team having to play another 3 game series just 2 days after the Hardin-Simmons series, "I think out team would like to play a bout every other day, it kinda gets them in that routine and it keeps them focused. When you have a big delay and a big off period you get a little rusty, and maybe lose a little bit of that competitive edge, so we look forward to playing games close together so we can maintain our focus and maintain our edge."

Against a solid team like Belhaven the Lady Wildcats will indeed need that competitive edge to win their 6th series of the year and stay atop the ASC in conference wins. "Belhaven is transitioning into our conference. They're a tough team. Right now they're ranked #1 in the NCCAA [National Christian College Athletic Association] and they've got a great pitching staff. We look forward to playing them because they're such a good team and we look forward to that challenge, its gonna be a fun environment for us and we're looking forward to it.

The Lady Wildcats will return to Coca-Cola Wildcat Field next Thursday and Friday for a three game conference series agaisnt LeTourneau with a doubleheader on Thursday at 5pm and 7pm and the finale on Good Friday at noon.

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Fans wanting to keep track of the three game series in Jackson can click HERE for live game stats from Belhaven.

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