Softball | 3/31/2017 1:57:00 PM

STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern softball team plays host to the No. 17 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in a Sun Belt Conference series this weekend.  GS (5-4 SBC) will play Louisiana (6-0 SBC) in a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m ET and then face off again on Sunday in a single game at 12 p.m. ET. The matchup will have live stats available through the website all weekend, as well as live video streaming on GS All Access. Be sure to follow @GSAthletics_SB on twitter for updates throughout the night. 

No. 17 Louisiana enters the three-game weekend with an overall record of 23-5 and has gone 6-0 in Sun Belt play this season. Louisiana has been on a roll and will come into this series on a six-game win streak after previously sweeping South Alabama and UTA. The team has scored the game's first run in 23 of 28 outings, sporting a 21-2 mark when scoring first. The Eagles have struggled recently; falling 8-0 to No. 18 Georgia on Wednesday, making their record against ranked teams 0-4. Louisiana owns a 7-1 all-time record over Georgia Southern and looks to continue their success while on the road.
 
Senior second baseman Kassidy Zeringue is batting .387 for the Ragin' Cajuns and has managed 24 hits on the year. In Saturday's doubleheader against South Alabama Zeringue posted a game-high three hits for Louisiana, scored two runs and collected an RBI. Her 3-for-4 showing marked her second three-hit game of the season. Junior shortstop DJ Sanders is another one to watch, batting .382 and owning a team leading 16 home runs and 37 RBIs on the year. Sanders' two homers in game 2 at South Alabama marked her fifth multiple-home run game of 2017. She also enters the weekend as the nation's leader in home runs and slugging percentage (1.011).
 
The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff has held opponents to five runs or less in all 28 games and the staff's 1.98 ERA ranks No. 30 in the NCAA statistical rankings. Freshman Alyssa Denham (9-1) has earned a 1.95 ERA on 12 starts and 15 appearances. Denham played 38 innings in the circle over the season's first month, limiting opponents to 10 runs (seven earned), 21 hits and a .159 average. Senior Alex Stewart (10-3) is also having an impressive season with a 1.99 ERA over 10 starts and 13 appearances. Stewart has surrendered five hits or less in all but two of her 10 starts. Free bases have been rare for the senior, with only 11 walks issued overall as she carries an active streak of 17 consecutive walk-free innings entering the Georgia Southern series.

The Eagles are coming off of a midweek loss against No. 16 Georgia, but won the series against UTA last weekend. GS sits at 15-16 overall, 5-4 in conference play. Senior Emily Snider is leading the offense with a .371 batting average, 21 RBIs and seven home runs. Lydia Witkowski is second on the team with a .311 average and right behind her is freshman Mekhia Freeman with a .304 average. Dixie Raley is 9-11 in the circle throughout 108.0 innings of work with a 2.95 ERA and 88 strikeouts.



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