THIBODAUX – With three Southland Conference series remaining, the Northwestern State softball team will attempt to solidify its spot in the conference tournament.

The Lady Demons (24-19, 7-11 SLC) hold the tiebreaker on the sixth and final tournament spot, but a difficult road series awaits at third-place Nicholls (30-14, 13-4 SLC) starting Friday at 6 p.m.
The series finishes Saturday with a noon doubleheader.

NSU coach Donald Pickett said the Lady Demons aren't likely to hit a lot of home runs (Lady Demons have a league-high 44) in a spacious Nicholls ball park and against a pitching staff with a conference-low 1.99 ERA.

"We have to put together quality at-bats up and down the lineup, and we can't rely on just the big ball," Pickett said. "We've got to move runners.

"We need all three phases to step up at the plate to come out with a series win. It's a tough place to play, and Nicholls is a much improved team. We'll need our 'A' game down the stretch to be able to win series and extend our season."

NSU is in a tie for seventh place with Sam Houston State (15-25, 7-11 SLC), but both teams are sixth in the conference tournament picture because Abilene Christian (19-18, 12-6 SLC) is ineligible.

Junior Micayla Sorosiak has provided a boost since moving to the leadoff spot in the last seven games, recording nine hits, eight runs scored and four RBIs. That's allowed junior Kellye Kincannon (.406 average, team-highs 38 RBIs and 13 home runs) to slide back to the No. 3 slot for more run-producing opportunities.

"Sorosiak has gotten a lot of quality at-bats, and that's the main thing for us," Pickett said. "We want her to get on base and work the pitchers to see what they are trying to do early.

"She sets the tone for us with a quality at-bat her first time up, and she's done a really good job with that. We've gotten more quality at-bats overall in the last week or so, but we need to continue that."

NSU finishes the conference season at home against sixth-place Stephen F. Austin (19-22, 8-9 SLC) and 10^th-place Southeastern (22-24, 5-13) in the final two weekends.

The Lady Demons' pitching staff will be tested against one of the better SLC offenses in Nicholls.

NSU's pitching was a key reason the Lady Demons started 15-5 in non-conference play and won the opening SLC game, but junior Shelby Sells (9-10, 3.67 ERA) and Micaela Bouvier (13-7, 4.00 ERA) have hit rough patches since league play begin.

Sells entered league play with a 2.48 ERA while Bouvier's ERA dipped to 2.22 after her win at Incarnate Word to start conference competition.

Pickett said his pitchers must maintain their confidence throughout the game.

"They'll throw great in the first four to five innings … and they have to think, 'What's six more outs?" Pickett said. "They need to be confident in what they are doing and not questioning themselves or their capabilities.

"They have to believe in themselves and figure out a way to get it done in the end. They are very capable and have done it this season, but they've struggled lately in conference play. We believe in them, and hopefully we can get three quality games this weekend because we'll have a great shot at a series win."