NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Carrying two Southland Conference series victories, the Northwestern State softball team travels to league rival Stephen F. Austin for a three-game showdown beginning on Saturday at one o'clock at the SFA Softball Field.

The Lady Demons (12-12 overall, 4-2 SLC) defeated conference foes Houston Baptist and Texas A&M – Corpus Christi in consecutive weekends, both with series tallies of 2-1, and enter Saturday after dropping a 6-3 decision to No. 15 Texas A&M on Tuesday.

The Ladyjacks (12-14, 3-2) lost twice to Central Arkansas last weekend, and were unable to play the final game due to inclement weather. SFA claimed its only series sweep of the season over Nicholls the weekend before, outscoring the Colonels 10-3.

In their last meeting in Nacogdoches (2013), NSU left with the sweep and outdistanced the Ladyjacks by a 21-2 score through three games, including a 12-0 shutout in game three. The Lady Demons have won the last six-of-seven contests between the two teams, but SFA leads the all-time series 51-48, and has defeated NSU 9-of-16 times throughout the Donald Pickett era.

Junior Cassandra Barefield boasts a .358 average for NSU, dishing out 24 hits, including eight homers, and 21 RBI, followed by senior Tara McKenney averaging .325 and a team-high 26 hits and six doubles. Appearing in just 15 games this season, freshman Kellye Kincannon also holds a .325 average with 13 hits and 12 RBI, including three home runs.

Kaylee Guidry (5-2) picked up both wins over the Islanders last weekend, and leads from the circle with a 3.19 ERA in 37.1 innings. The Walker native has given up 33 hits and 18 runs, 17 of them earned, while striking out 21. Freshman Shelby Sells (3-5) has seen the most time on the rubber, throwing 58 complete innings while allowing 61 hits and striking out 50.

For the Ladyjacks, Shalie Day leads from the plate at .358 with 24 hits, including seven doubles and four homers. Brittany Lewis and Katelyn Standley sit tied in RBI with a team-high 22 apiece. Lewis is hitting .354 while Standley registers at .338 and has cranked out another team-high seven homers.

From the circle, Carlie Thomas (7-7) holds opponents to a 2.84 ERA, giving up 74 hits and 40 runs, 34 of them earned, in 83.2 innings.

Northwestern State will head to in-state rival Louisiana Tech on Wednesday for a non-conference contest, slated to begin at 6:30, before hosting McNeese State in a Southland series beginning on March 29 at 1:00 at the Lady Demon Diamond.