The SIUE softball team travels to Carbondale Wednesday for a 4 p.m. nonconference contest with the Salukis of SIU Carbondale.
"Carbondale always has a good team," said SIUE Head Coach Sandy Montgomery. "They swing the bat, and they have a great crowd down there every time we play."
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The Salukis, 11-14-1, are coming into the game with a four-game losing skid. SIUE, meanwhile, is on the other end of the spectrum with a 10-game winning streak. The Cougars hold a 27-6 record.
"From our standpoint, we need to worry about us and continue to try to get better," said Montgomery.
SIUE's offense hit .414 (41-99) in this past weekend's sweep at Southeast Missouri.
"We had a very good approach to SEMO's pitching," said Montgomery. "Every pitcher is different, so you have to adjust."
Senior Alex McDavid became the latest member of the 200-hit club, hitting a home run in her first at bat Sunday. McDavid also became one of five players in school history to record 20 or more career home runs.
Rebecca Gray took over the team lead among starters in batting average. The senior outfielder is batting .396 with a team-leading 12 stolen bases.
The Cougars now have a trio of players with more than 20 RBIs this season. Haley Chambers, who hit a grand slam this past weekend, leads the team with 25. She is followed by Jordan LaFave and Allison Smiley with 23 each.
"We need to continue to be aggressive," said Montgomery. "We're putting the ball in play, and we're seeing the ball well."
SIUE's pitching continues to set Ohio Valley Conference standards. Freshman Baylee Douglass, 10-2, was named the OVC Pitcher of the Week after a one-hit shutout against Southeast Missouri. That comes on the heels of Chambers, 16-3, being named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Pitcher of the Week nearly two weeks ago.
