BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals can solidify their hold on one of the eight spots in next month's Southland Conference Softball Tournament when they travel to Conway, Arkansas, for a three-game conference series against the Central Arkansas Bears. The teams play a doubleheader at noon Saturday and a single game at noon Sunday.
 
The Cardinals (23-19 overall, 8-7 Southland) are in seventh place in the SLC, but just one game behind a trio of teams (Central Arkansas, Southeastern Louisiana and Stephen F. Austin) tied for fourth at 9-6. LU is one game ahead of eighth-place Abilene Christian and two games in front of ninth-place Sam Houston State. The top eight teams qualify for the tournament.
 
"This is definitely a big series," LU coach Holly Bruder said. Of our four remaining series, three of them are against teams ahead of us in the standings. We need to win this series."
 
The series was originally scheduled to feature a doubleheader at 5 p.m. Friday and a single game at 1 p.m. Saturday, but was pushed back a day because of the forecast of heavy rains in Conway on Friday. The delay could be a good thing for the Cardinals, who split a marathon non-conference doubleheader against visiting Houston on Wednesday, taking a 3-2 decision in nine innings in the opener before dropping a 6-3 decision in 11 innings in the nightcap. The Cardinals were originally slated to depart on the approximately eight-hour trip at noon Thursday. The team is now set to depart at noon on Friday.
 
"It really worked to our advantage to get this extra day of rest after such a long day on Wednesday," Bruder said. "We have that long bus ride ahead of us, but we have to be ready to play right away on Saturday."
 
The Cardinals are also looking to avenge last season's 2-1 loss to the host Bears in the Southland Conference Tournament. LU is 7-8 all-time vs. Central Arkansas, but just 2-5 on the artificial surface of UCA's Farris Field.
 
"It's a different game on turf," Bruder said. "The ball doesn't bounce the same way. We have to take our pregame warmup seriously. We have to be focused."
 
LU junior second baseman Kelly Meeuwsen is tied with shortstop Savana Guidry for the team lead with a .331 batting average. Meeuwsen is batting a team-best .408 in conference play. Meeuwsen enters the weekend with 98 career RBIs, as she looks to become just the second player in program history to drive in 100 runs. Ashley McDowell holds the LU record with 107 RBIs. Meeuwsen leads the team with seven home runs, while being second on the team with 26 RBIs.
 
First baseman Shelby Henderson, who set a school-single game record with 18 putouts in the 11-inning game against Houston, leads the Cardinals with 27 RBIs. Left fielder Kendall Talley is batting .322 overall for LU, including a .370 mark against SLC pitchers.
 
The Cardinals go up against a Central Arkansas pitching staff that has an ERA of 3.50 overall and 3.33 in conference play. Freshman right-hander Rio Sanchez (8-5, 2.38) is 4-2 with one save in 10 conference appearances, including five starts. UCA's other probable starters for the weekend are junior right-hander Rachel Haberman (4-2, 3.81) and sophomore righty Kailla Searcy (5-5, 4.20). Searcy is 3-0 with a 4.39 ERA in conference games.
 
LU's probable starters are senior right-hander Laura Napoli (11-10, 2.99) and freshman righty Taylor Gruell (7-6, 3.88). Napoli pitched 14 innings in Wednesday's doubleheader, including a complete-game effort in the opener, as she recorded her 50^th career win, becoming the first pitcher in program history to reach the 50-win plateau.
 
Napoli enters the series with 326 career strikeouts, just three behind the all-time LU record of 329 held by Ciara Luna.
 
"I was very proud of Laura for the way she pitched on Wednesday and for getting a milestone victory," Bruder said. "We also needed Taylor to get back on track, and I think she did that against Houston. We need both of them down the stretch."
 
The LU pitching staff goes up against a Central Arkansas lineup that is batting .264 overall, but .275 against SLC pitchers. Junior infielder Libby Morris is hitting .353 overall, but .413 in conference play.
 
FORECAST: Saturday's twin bill should be played under a partly cloudy sky with the temperature hovering around 60 degrees. The wind will be out of the west at 10 to 20 mph. Sunday's game will also have a partly cloudy sky, with the temperature near 55 degrees. Sunday's wind will be out of the west-northwest at about 14 mph.
 
ON DECK: The Cardinals host defending Southland Conference champion McNeese in a three-game series next weekend. The Cardinals and Cowgirls are slated to play a doubleheader at 5 p.m. April 20 and a single game at 3 p.m. April 21.
 
TICKETS: For tickets to all LU home games, please call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE. The Montagne Center ticket office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The ticket window at the LU Softball Complex will open one hour prior to first pitch on game days. LU students receive free admission to home games with their Cardinal One card, while Junior Cardinal Club members are admitted for free when they present their membership badge.