Lamar sports information
BEAUMONT — The Lamar University softball team heads to Central Arkansas this weekend as it enters the final part of the Southland Conference schedule.
The Cardinals (27-15 overall, 14-4 Southland) face the Bears (31-15, 12-6) in a three-game series that opens with a single contest at 6 p.m. Friday before wrapping up with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday. All three games will be broadcast live at www.lamarcardinals.com.
LU enters the weekend in second place, one game behind league-leading McNeese State, and just a half-game ahead of third-place Nicholls. Central Arkansas sits in fourth place, three games behind McNeese State.
“We have a hard road ahead of us over the final three weeks,” Lamar coach Holly Bruder, whose squad will host McNeese State next weekend before wrapping up conference play at Nicholls, said. “We have put ourselves in a good position heading into these final three weeks. We’re hoping to play for a conference regular-season championship.”
LU’s 27 wins are a program record, while the 14 wins the Cardinals have in conference equal the school mark for conference wins reached in 2013 and again in 2015.
“We’ve had a good season, but we’re not satisfied with just that,” Bruder said. “We know we’ve got our work cut out for us these final three weekends.”
Pitching has been the key to LU’s success this season. The Cardinals have a team ERA of 2.87 overall, a figure that drops to 1.97 in Southland competition. LU junior right-hander Ciara Luna (13-4, 2.29) is unbeaten in Southland action, sporting an 8-0 record with a 1.44 ERA. Senior right-hander Lauren Dannelley (4-3, 2.97) is 2-0 with a 0.54 ERA in Southland games. Sophomore righty Laura Napoli (6-7, 3.37) has a school-record four saves this season. Napoli is 2-3 with two saves and a 3.19 ERA in Southland Conference contests. Sophomore righty Amie Cisneros (3-1, 3.37) is 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA in conference games. Cisneros, the reigning Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week enters the weekend with a career-best scoreless streak of 14 1/3 innings.
“This is the most depth we’ve had in pitching in the four years since we brought softball back,” Bruder said. “Not just depth, but quality depth. “Every one of our pitchers has stepped up this season.”
Pitching has also been a strong suit for Central Arkansas this season. The Bears have a 2.81 staff ERA overall, and a 1.99 ERA in conference games. That pitching has made up for an offense that is hitting .249 overall and .239 in the conference.
Shivaun Landeros (19-9, 2.59) has thrown a conference-leading 176 innings this season, 16 more than Southeastern Louisiana’s Taylor Bishop, who is second at 160 innings pitched. Landeros’ 81 innings pitched in conference games also leads the SLC. Landeros is 8-4 with a 1.38 ERA in conference action.
Kayla Gomness (9-4, 2.20) is expected to be the other Central Arkansas starter this weekend. The Bears will face an LU squad that is second in the conference with a .307 team batting average. Brittany Rodriguez leads LU with a.414 batting average, good for third in the SLC.
Sam Forrest leads Central Arkansas with a .311 batting average.
Following the weekend series, the Cardinals are at Texas Southern for a non-conference game at 5 p.m. April 26 before hosting UT Arlington in the final non-conference game of the season at 2 p.m. April 27. After that, McNeese State comes in for the final home games of the LU season on April 29-30 before LU closes the regular season with a conference series at Nicholls on May 6-7. The Southland Conference Tournament is scheduled for May 11-14 at McNeese State, with the top six teams qualifying.
“We remember two years ago when we lost our last nine conference games and didn’t make the tournament,” Bruder said. “I don’t think that’s going to happen this year, but we are just taking it one game at a time.”