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THIBODAUX, La. – For the third time in the last four conference series, the Nicholls State University softball team will take on the conference leaders as the Colonels are scheduled to face Northwestern State for a three-game series in Natchitoches, La.
 
The weather has been a major factor in the Colonels (24-16, 10-8 SLC) season so far, already wiping out a total of nine games. The series with Northwestern State (25-14, 14-2 SLC) was slated for Friday-Saturday, but the threat of inclement weather pushed it back to Saturday-Sunday. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m., with Sunday's finale scheduled for noon.
 
The Colonels have held their own against the league's top teams, going 3-3 in their battles with Central Arkansas and McNeese State, which were both in first place at the time. Nicholls had the chance to go 5-1 in the two series, but late comebacks by each opponent led to a pair of losses for the Colonels.
 
Nicholls ranks in the top four of the Southland in hitting and earned run average, posting a .312 batting average and a 3.77 ERA. In conference games, the Colonels average has improved to .324, while their ERA has dipped slightly at 3.83 ERA.
 
For much of the season, the offense has featured between three and five hitters who are batting .300 or better, but the team now has six players in the lineup who are past the benchmark. Jessica Taylor (.304) and Haley Parkerson (.322) recently joined the group after swinging a hot bat over the last 10 games. Combined with Brooke Morris, who has a team-best .378 average, the trio has accounted for 44 hits, 26 runs and 18 RBIs during the stretch. Taylor has led the way with a .452 average, followed by Morris (.444) and Parkerson (.378).
 
In the circle, while Hannah Haydel (12-7, 2.55 ERA) has been the ace of the staff all season, the Colonels received a big boost from Jackie Johnson (7-7, 4.20 ERA) last weekend in the series win over Incarnate Word. Against the Cardinals, Johnson went 2-0 with a 2.15 ERA, held UIW to a .208 batting average and struck out four batters.
 
The Lady Demons come into the series as the Southland's most powerful hitting team, leading the league with 56 home runs, which is 18 more than the second-highest team, and a whopping .545 slugging percentage. Despite the gaudy numbers, NSU has scored six runs less than Nicholls (245) this season, but has played one less game.
 
Leading the Lady Demon in batting average is the trio of Kellye Kincannon (.389), Brittney Jones (.388) and Cassandra Barefield (.354). Kincannon is second in the SLC with 46 RBIs, while Barefield is second in home runs with 13 and has 39 RBIs.
 
NSU's pitching staff is second in the conference in ERA at 3.53 and has served up an SLC-low 17 home runs. Micaela Bouvier has logged the most starts for the first-place Lady Demons, posting an 11-4 record with a 2.86 ERA and 63 strikeouts.
 
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