THIBODAUX – Following a pair of doubleheader splits in Southland play, the Nicholls State University softball team will be looking to gain some ground in the standings as the Colonels take on UTSA and UT Arlington this weekend, starting on Friday night at UTSA.

First pitch at Roadrunner Field is set for 6 p.m., with Saturday's game slated for 2 p.m. On Sunday, Nicholls (12-27, 6-8) will play a makeup doubleheader against UT Arlington, starting at 1 p.m. All four of the weekend's contests will be broadcast live on ThibodauxOnline.com.

The Colonels maintained their seventh spot in the standings after taking the second game of their doubleheader at McNeese on Tuesday. While Nicholls only had four hits in the victory, the first was an early solo home run by starting pitcher Ashton Bennett, and the other three came in third inning, capped on a two-run single by Leah Andrus that gave Nicholls the lead for good.

The victory against McNeese put Nicholls at 6-8 in the Southland and with only six conference games remaining; the Colonels are currently on the outside looking in at a postseason spot. However, Nicholls can drastically improve its chances as its first opponent of the weekend, UTSA (20-24, 9-7), holds the sixth and final spot. The Roadrunners dropped in the standings after being swept by first-place Texas State on Tuesday.

The matchup pits two of the top hitting teams in the Southland and features four batters who are ranked in the top 10 in average in the league. As a team, UTSA ranks second with a .288 average and Nicholls is fourth at .268. Megan Low, who has 26 RBIs, leads a quintet of Roadrunners hitting above .300, coming in ranked second with a .388 average. Molly Fichtner ranks eighth in the SLC at .352.

For the Colonels, leadoff hitter Ashley Bertot is third in batting with a .387 clip, followed closely by Ashley Ray, whose .374 average ranks fifth. Both Bertot and Ray had key hits in the Colonels' victory against McNeese.

In the circle, Bennett leads the staff with a 7-8 record, with five of her wins coming in Southland play. In conference, the Baton Rouge native is 5-2 with a 0.91 ERA and has two shutouts. Katie Moulder has a 2.81 ERA in the SLC, but has a 1-6 record. However, Moulder has had little run support in her six losses as the Colonels have been shutout four times and scored a combined five runs.

For UTSA, Haylee Stanton has been the primary starter, sporting a 12-6 record with a 2.57 ERA. In 139 innings, she has 113 strikeouts and has tossed three shutouts.

Following the matchup against UTSA, Nicholls will play UT Arlington (13-23, 3-11) in a doubleheader on Sunday. The series was scheduled for earlier in the season, but has been pushed back twice due to the weather.

While the Mavericks rank near the bottom in every offensive category, their pitching staff is one of the best in the conference. UTA has a collective 2.54 ERA, which ranks fourth, and has used only two pitchers all season. Teri Lyles posts a 7-11 record and a 2.32 ERA while Callie Collins is 6-12 with a 2.81 ERA.

At the plate, UTA is hitting .226, led by Erica LaFlore with a .305 average and 15 RBIs.