MONROE – Northwestern State and ULM have attempted to play twice in Natchitoches this season, and the two teams will try to get in their regularly scheduled game in Monroe on Wednesday.
The 6 p.m. contest is not a certainty with a 40 percent chance of rain in Monroe, but the Lady Demons (18-9) hope the teams will be luckier Wednesday when they face the Warhawks (14-14).
Just as the rain will put pressure on coaches to keep a watchful eye on the sky, NSU coach
Donald Pickett said ULM's aggressive running style could pressure the Lady Demons' defense.
ULM leads the Sun Belt Conference with 11 triples and 75 stolen bases, thanks in large part to leadoff hitter Rochelle Roberts (five triples, 23 stolen bases).
"(ULM) puts pressure on you, and they play the short game very well," Pickett said. "They put their kids in situations to run and to move runners.
"The key is to not let the game get too fast for us. We've got to have good approaches at the plate and quality at-bats through the game to put up more than just a run here or a run there. Hopefully we can get a big inning or two to help us if we do make some mistakes."
Roberts bats .534 at the top of the lineup, and she's in range to finish as ULM's career record holder in batting average, stolen bases and on-base percentage.
NSU responds with its own potential record holder in junior
Kellye Kincannon. Kincannon is batting .402 this season and .387 entering this season, which will top NSU charts if she's able to sustain it. She's also in range to end her career with the program's record in slugging percentage (.782 this season) and home runs (hit six of her 33 this season).
Kincannon leads the team in nearly every major offensive category, batting .402 with 20 runs scored, 23 RBIs, 35 hits, 11 doubles, two triples and six home runs.
NSU appears to have recovered from an early conference season slump in which the Lady Demons lost two games at Incarnate Word, a non-conference midweek game at home to Louisiana Tech and the first game of a three-game series against Houston Baptist.
NSU won the last two against Houston Baptist after the UIW series loss broke a string of 13 consecutive SLC series wins dating to April of 2014.
"I hope (we have ended the slump)," Pickett said. "It was very big to get the last two games in the (HBU) series and to give ourselves a chance to go out every weekend and win the series.
"We've got to continue to improve, and ULM will be a tough road test before we head to Sam Houston State."
ULM hasn't played a home game in more than a month after starting the season 5-1 in Monroe. ULM has lost its last five games, including a sweep at the hands of a regional power in South Alabama.
