THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Thomas University softball team will travel to Brunswick, Ga. Wednesday for a The Sun Conference doubleheader against the College of Coastal Georgia, followed by another conference doubleheader at home against #27 Southeastern University Friday.
 
With just three weeks remaining in the regular season, the Lady Night Hawks (14-14, 5-9 TSC) currently sit one game outside of TSC's tournament picture at seventh.  The good news for the Hunter Green & White is that their opponents are within reach in the standings; TU must seize the opportunity and come away with at least a few wins to climb back into TSC contention.
 
Freshman Averie Sheppard showed hitting spark last week at Warner, going 4-for-7 at the plate that included a first-career triple for the Chattanooga, Tn. native.
 
Despite the doubleheader sweep by the Royals, the Lady Night Hawks' pitching unit is looking to output wins from its overall performance from the circle.  Junior Larran Carter (5-2) has posted a 0.00 ERA in 10 of her last 11 appearances, as Junior Sheala Brown continues to improve her ERA, posting a 2.23 average in her previous four appearances.
 
Coastal Georgia (4/14)
Coastal Georgia (18-8, 6-6 TSC) see Wednesday's doubleheader as a golden opportunity to even the score against the Lady Night Hawks after TU took both games in the previous doubleheader at Armory Field.  Since the doubleheader sweep, the Mariners have won eight of their last 11 contests, including splits with nationally ranked teams like #8 Georgia Gwinnett and #18 Warner.  In that span, all three losses for CCGA were one-run differentials.
 
Mary Waldron remains Coastal Georgia's batting average leader at .425 (third in The Sun Conference).  Along with Sarah Thinger (.405), the Mariners continue to boast the conference's best hitting average (.330).  The pitching staff for the Mariners is led by Hayley Dickerson (6-2), averaging a 2.45 ERA allowing a season total of 21 earned runs in 68 hits and throwing 47 strikeouts.
 
While the Night Hawks have one of the best stolen base averages in the conference (2.25 a game), CCGA's Bryce Peacock individually averages 0.70 bases a game, a third-best in the conference.
 
First pitch at Coastal Georgia Softball Field is set for 2 p.m.  Links to follow the live action are listed below:
 
Live Stats                                             Live Video
 
 
#27 Southeastern (4/16)
Saturday's showdown against #27 Southeastern (24-15, 6-8 TSC) will prove to be quite a test for TU.  The Fire was off to a good start in the 2021 season, but just like Thomas, the Red, Black & White have too, struggled as of late, also winning just three of its previous ten games.
 
At the plate, Katie Atkins and Madison Williams are a few go-to players for SEU; Atkins is knocking on a .400 batting average with 30 RBIs, while Williams is hitting .358 with 24 RBIs and 26 stolen bases.
 
Despite their recent struggles, Southeastern's pitching unit has maintained order from the circle, averaging a team 2.28 ERA.  Primary pitcher Autumn Hunter (12-8) has improved in SEU's latest doubleheaders, averaging a 0.75 ERA in a four-game span and allowing just over four hits a game.
 
Since 2017, the Lady Night Hawks and the Fire have split their regular season series, with SEU leading the overall series 18-8.
 
First pitch at Armory Field is scheduled for 2.p.m.  Fans unable to attend can follow the live action by accessing the links below:
 
Live Stats                                             Live Video
 
For up-to-date information on these games and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU softball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksSoftb.