BEAUMONT, Texas - As the 2023 softball regular season approaches the finish line, Lamar University's softball team finds themselves hanging by a thread for the seventh and final spot in the Southland Conference tournament picture. Up by one game on the University of Incarnate Word, LU will look to put more distance between the two schools as they will travel to San Antonio for a three-game series.

PREVIOUSLY
Big Red took on Texas Southern in a one-game showdown at the LU Softball Complex. Trailing 1-0 after three innings despite good pitching from Karyana Mitchell (3.0 IP, one run, four hits, one K), LU turned to Aaliyah Ruiz and she would pitch four innings of one-hit relief while striking out a season high eight batters. Sam Bean (two hits) and Kaylee Ancelot would each drive in an RBI as LU won 3-1.

SOUTHLAND STANDINGS UPDATE Pt. 1
LU currently sits in seventh place in the conference with a 7-11 record, which is the limit on how many teams go to the tournament. UIW is one game back at 6-12. Here are the potential scenarios that LU faces and how it would affect them in the tournament picture.
LU Record/UIW Record After This Weekend's Series Scenarios
1. LU sweeps UIW: LU would sit at 10-11 while UIW would be at 6-15 meaning LU would have clinched at least the seventh seed in the tournament.
2. LU takes two-of-three from UIW: LU would be at 9-12 while UIW would be at 7-14, giving LU a two-game lead entering the final weekend.
3. LU drops two-of-three from UIW: Both teams would be tied at 8-13 in conference play, but UIW would have the tiebreaker. This would mean the last weekend's series between LU/Texas A&M-Commerce and UIW/Texas A&M-Corpus Christi would be the deciding series.
4. LU drops all three to UIW: UIW would be at 9-12 while LU would be at 7-14.

SOUTHLAND STANDINGS UPDATE Pt. 2
One thing to keep an eye on is the sixth place team Nicholls. At 10-11, this weekend will be the last weekend of their regular season. Should LU and Nicholls finish tied for sixth in conference play, the Colonels would get the higher seed due to winning the regular series earlier.


STATS UPDATE
Bean continues to lead LU in batting average (.326), hits (43), and homers (six) while Kaylee Ancelot remains LU's RBI leader with 31 runs driven in. Aleka Xayaseng is 11-of-13 in stole base attempts. Aaliyah Ruiz is LU's leader in ERA (3.87) and strikeouts (69) while also having eight wins.


SCHEDULE


Friday, Apr. 28

5:00 p.m. at UIW (DH)

Saturday, Apr. 29

12:00 p.m. at UIW


OPPONENT INFO: UIW
Series Record: LU 12-4 (17th Meeting)
Last Meeting: UIW 5-1 (Apr. 18, 2021

LU might be 12-4 all-time against UIW. But as of late, UIW has won the last four meetings following 12 straight losses to LU to start head-to-head series. LU last won against UIW sweeping a doubleheader on Apr. 27, 2018.

UIW has a 14-26-1 record with the lone tie coming against Tennessee State on March 7th. Ryleigh Mata has tops in batting average (.302) and hits (39) while she is second in RBI (14) behind Kendall McGary (16). In the circle, Annie Gunther has a team-low 3.08 ERA and has won six games in 77.1 innings.


ALRIGHT, WHO'S THE REAL CARDINAL NAMED AALIYAH?
LU and UIW both have a pitcher named Aaliyah who leads their team with strikeouts. Although she is fourth on the team in ERA (4.56) and has won three games in the circle, Aaliyah Garcia has a team high 52 strikeouts.


UP NEXT
The Cardinals will make their final home series for the season as they will take on Texas A&M-Commerce beginning next Friday at 5:00 p.m.
 

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