BEAUMONT, Texas – The last home series of the season for the Lamar University Cardinals is also their most important one as they look to stay in contention for a berth in next month's Southland Conference Softball Tournament.
 
The Cardinals (26-24 overall, 9-12 Southland) host the Incarnate Word Cardinals (12-28, 5-16) for three games this weekend. The teams play a doubleheader at 5 p.m. Friday and a single game at 3 p.m. Saturday. LU enters the weekend one game behind eighth-place Sam Houston State for the final spot in the tourney, with six conference games remaining.
 
"We know this is a huge series for us," LU coach Holly Bruder said. "When you look at the schedule that Sam Houston State has remaining, I think it's imperative that we sweep this weekend. Even then, we might still have to win at least two games next week at Nicholls."
 
Sam Houston State closes its conference season with six straight home games. The Bearkats (19-28, 10-11) host Southeastern Louisiana (31-17, 14-7) this weekend before welcoming Houston Baptist (8-29, 5-16) on the last weekend of the season. LU, meanwhile will have its work cut out at Nicholls (32-13, 15-6).
 
"We can't worry about next week right now," Bruder said. "Our focus needs to be solely on Incarnate Word."
 
LU brings some momentum into the weekend, snapping a five-game skid with a non-conference doubleheader sweep of host Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday, rallying for 11-7 and 3-2 victories, with both contests going eight innings.
 
"We had some players step up on Wednesday," Bruder said. "We got some big hits in both games, and we played solid defense. We also got some great pitching from Taylor Gruell. We're going to need her to pitch the same way the rest of the season."
 
Gruell (9-7, 3.69), a freshman right-hander, picked up the win in relief in both games at ULM, becoming the first LU pitcher to win both games of a doubleheader since Ciara Luna beat Central Arkansas twice in the same day on April 14, 2017.
 
Gruell and senior right-hander Laura Napoli (12-13, 3.28) are LU's probable starters this weekend. They will face a UIW lineup that is batting .220 as a team overall, including a .209 mark in SLC play. Angel Villanueva is batting .345 for UIW.
 
LU, which tied a season-high with 17 hits in the 11-7 win over ULM, is batting .278 as a team with four starters batting better than .300. Junior second baseman Kelly Meeuwsen leads LU with a .348 batting average and eight home runs. Here 30 RBIs are second to Shelby Henderson's 37. Savana Guidry is batting .341 for LU, followed by Kendall Talley's .338 average and Henderson's .318 batting average.
 
The LU hitters will go up against a UIW pitching staff that has a collective ERA of 4.83. Freshman right-hander Breanna Hernandez (4-12, 4.52) and senior righty Sarah Leal (8-11, 4.80) are UIW's probable starting pitchers.
 
"We're not going to take anything for granted," Bruder said. "We have to go out and take care of business this weekend."
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: LU is 12-0 all-time vs. UIW, including a 10-0 record since reviving the program in 2013. LU is 4-0 vs. UIW at the LU Softball Complex. Last season, LU swept a three-game conference series at UIW.
 
PROMOTIONS: Friday's doubleheader is Strike Out Pediatric Cancer Night, with special baked goods and snacks available to purchase, with funds going to fight pediatric cancer. Saturday is Senior Day, with the Cardinals honoring their three seniors (Napoli, Amie Cisneros and Corina Thornton) in postgame ceremonies.
 
FORECAST: The sky will be clear for most of Friday's doubleheader. The first game will get underway with the temperature near 78 degrees. Temperatures will drop into the high 60s by the time the twin bill concludes. The wind will be out of the north at 10 mph. Saturday's game will see mostly cloudy skies with a high of 82. The wind will be out of the south-southwest at about 5 mph.
 
ON DECK: The Cardinals are at Nicholls for three SLC games the weekend of May 4-5. The conference tournament is scheduled for May 8-11 at McNeese.
 
TICKETS: For tickets to this weekend's home series, 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.