NATCHITOCHES – With 12 Southland Conference softball games remaining on its schedule, Northwestern State heads into the home stretch tied for first in league play, seeking to claim its seventh straight conference series this weekend at McNeese State.

The Lady Demons (22-14, 12-2 SLC) and Cowgirls (26-14,12-3 SLC) open a three-game series at 6 p.m. from the Cowgirl Diamond on Friday. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at one o'clock. Game's 1 and 2 can be heard in the Natchitoches area on 97.5 FM KDBH while all three will be broadcast worldwide on NSUDemons.com.

The two squads are separated by half a game, as Northwestern State's series finale against Sam Houston State on March 21 was cancelled due to rain and field conditions.

"They've got a great team," seventh-year head coach Donald Pickett said of the Cowgirls. "They've got great pitching. They've got great hitters. They're a good overall team. We're going to have to play our best down there. They'll be fired up to play us. It will be a battle like it always is and hopefully we can play our best games of the year and come out with a series win."

NSU boasts one of the conference's top offenses, leading the league in doubles (59), home runs (50), total bases (517) and slugging percentage (.544). Meanwhile, McNeese counters with a conference low in ERA (2.04) and opponent batting average (.222).

"We try to be line-drive hitters," Pickett said of the team's offensive mentality. "We're fortunate to have a lot of talented kids in our lineup. If they keep that mentality then those line drives turn into home runs. As long as they keep their swings short and swing at good pitches, they'll be hard to shut down. The thing that impresses me most about our lineup is the balance we have one through nine. Every game this season, we have different people stepping up."

NSU's offensive depth will be tested against the Cowgirls' right-handed tandem of junior Emily Vincent (10-3, 1.05 ERA) and sophomore Rachel Smith (9-4, 2.05 ERA), who rank first and third in conference in ERA. Sandwiched between the duo, is NSU freshman reliever turned starter Mikayla Brown (5-2, 1.98 ERA).

Northwestern State first baseman Brittney Jones has reached base safely in 10 straight games. The sophomore is the team-leader at .421 after posting a 3-for-7 performance last weekend against Central Arkansas, including a three-run home run in the finale, to help NSU take two of three.

Right-handed starter Micaela Bouvier stifled the Bears offense in a Game 1 victory, tossing 6 2-3 innings, allowing three hits while fanning two and holding UCA scoreless. The redshirt freshman has given up three or fewer runs in all eight of her conference starts, posting a 6-0 record in that span.

"It was good that Bouvier came out and threw a shutout in that first game and we were able to get the Game 1 win," Pickett said. "Mikayla Brown threw a great game in Game 2. Their kid pitched a great game and we didn't make the adjustments we needed to make. They beat us 1-0 on one swing of the bat. It was a tough loss but we really like how our girls came out and responded on Saturday to finish strong and get the series win."

Friday's meeting will be the first between McNeese and NSU since the Lady Demons downed the Cowgirls 11-0 on May 11 to capture the squad's second-straight Southland Conference Tournament. It will also be the 140^th meeting since the in-state rivals began playing in 1979. NSU holds a 73-66 advantage in the span.

NSU concludes its four-game road trip in Ruston on Wednesday against Louisiana Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. from the Lady Techster Softball Complex.