BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University softball hits the road again this week as the Cardinals travel to the SFA Softball Field in Nacogdoches, Texas to play Stephen F. Austin (9-15, 2-1 WAC) for a three-game series. 

The two teams will open with a doubleheader Friday with first pitch for game one slated for 1 p.m. Game two is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start. Saturday's game has first pitch set for noon. 

The Cardinals (4-17, 0-6 in WAC play) will be led by senior pitcher Aaliyah Ruiz who is currently fourth on the all-time list for strikeouts in Lamar University softball history. Ruiz is 85 strikeouts away from being crowned university's strikeout queen. 

Junior infielder Hannah Kinkade leads the offense with a .385 batting average against WAC opponents. She is hitting .310 overall and sports a .556 on-base percentage. Additionally, Kinkade cracked the top 10 list for all-time home runs in school history when she blasted her sixth and seventh during a game against Houston Baptist earlier this year. One of the two home runs was a grand slam. 

Another bat to keep an eye on is sophomore outfielder Audry Fleming. The Haslet, Texas native is hitting .353 against WAC opponents. One third of her hits during conference play have gone for extra bases, including a triple. Fleming scored four runs and brought in five more in her six most recent games.  

This series will start a four-game road trip. Big Red travels to Austin, Texas for a midweek match Tuesday, March 22 against the Texas Longhorns, the alma mater of LU head coach Amy Hooks. The Cardinals will return to the LU Softball Complex March 29 when Houston Baptist visits 

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