NATCHITOCHES – After taking two of three from previous Southland Conference unbeaten Lamar a week ago, the tests continue for Northwestern State softball as the squad welcomes in league-leader Central Arkansas for a three-game set at the Lady Demon Diamond this weekend.

NSU (20-13, 10-1 SLC) and UCA (23-10, 11-1 SLC) will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at one o'clock with the series finale slated for noon on Saturday.

The series pits the Lady Demons high-octane offense, which leads the Southland with a .320 average, against a Sugar Bears squad that boasts the second-lowest earned run average at 3.51 and has committed the fewest errors with 30.

"We're going to have to play really great this weekend," seventh-year head coach Donald Pickett said. "Central Arkansas is on a roll. They've got a really great team."

Anchoring the UCA pitching staff is right-hander Kylee Studioso. The senior transfer from Weatherford College leads the Southland Conference with 18 wins and was named the league's newcomer of the year a season ago.

"She was an all-conference first-teamer last year," Pickett said. "She's a really good player. She is really in control out on the mound. We're going to have to be ready to take the right approaches against her."

Saturday will be Breast Cancer Awareness Day with fans being encouraged to wear pink. American Cancer Society will be selling bracelets while the team will be wearing pink out shirts.

Friday's Game 1 meeting will be the 25^th all-time between the two squads since the series began in 2007. During that time, NSU holds a 15-9 advantage, including taking three of four against the Sugar Bears last season.

In four games against UCA as designated player last season, current senior Cassandra Barefield went 6-for-16, scoring six runs, notching four RBIs and launching two home runs. Fellow senior, and current starting third baseman, Brittany Virgoe finished 6-for-20, scoring six runs while notching four RBIs and hitting a pair of homers.

Barefield enters the series having reached base safely in 12 straight games, while sophomore first baseman Brittney Jones, the team-leader with a .420 average, heads into the weekend riding a seven-game hitting streak.

Redshirt freshman starting pitcher Micaela Bouvier (10-4) tossed her first collegiate no-hitter last weekend against Lamar and has given up three or fewer runs in each of her last seven starts. The righty has blanked the opposition four times in that span.

"Bouvier has been through a lot here," Pickett said. "She didn't get to play last year and had to redshirt. She's done really well for us this year. We made some good plays behind her on Friday night. She kept grinding and kept working and kept fighting and we looked up and they didn't have any hits. She finished it off. It is real good to see our girls being successful."

Freshman right-hander Mikayla Brown (4-1) has also provided NSU a unique weapon in the circle. The reliever has allowed just five earned runs in 28 innings pitched and has blanked opponents nine times in 12 appearances out of the pen.

General admission game tickets for Friday's doubleheader are available for just $9 and chairback seating priced at $15. NSU student admission is free, as always, with a valid student ID.