NATCHITOCHES – As part of its eight-game home stand, the Northwestern State softball team hosts non-conference foe Southern University in a doubleheader on Wednesday at four o'clock at the Lady Demon Diamond.
 
NSU holds a 15-15 overall record, and have defeated the Jaguars (3-28) in all nine meetings between the two programs with a 68-17 scoring margin. The teams last met in 2013 in Baton Rouge when the Lady Demons ran away with an 8-0 victory, which included single home runs from designated player Cassandra Barefield and third baseman Brittany Virgoe.
 
Barefield registers a .329 average off 28 hits, including 10 homers and 24 RBI to lead the Lady Demons from the plate, followed by Brittney Jones and Tara McKenney at .320 and .313, respectively. Jones has cranked out five home runs and four doubles off 24 hits, while McKenney holds a team-high 31 hits.
 
Senior Kaylee Guidry (6-3) steers the NSU pitching staff with a 3.00 ERA after giving up 47 hits and 24 runs, 22 of them earned, in 51.1 innings.
 
Southern enters Wednesday's contest after splitting a pair of games at Grambling.
Sydney Wesley and Alicia Barajas sit on top of the Jaguars offense with .353 and .293 averages, respectively. Both have registered 24 hits on the season. Barajas has notched four doubles and 12 RBI to compare to Wesley's two triples, a double and seven RBI.
 
Kayliegh Thomas (1-15) holds a 7.94 ERA to lead from the rubber, giving up 129 hits and 98 runs, 75 of them earned, and striking out 50 batters in 85 complete innings.
 
The Lady Demons welcome Southland Conference opponent Sam Houston State on Saturday for a three-game series beginning at 2:00, followed by a visit from last season's Baton Rouge Regional Champion and No. 20 Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday at six o'clock.