MACON, Ga. – The Eastern Kentucky softball team hits the road this weekend to take part in the Black and Orange Challenge in Macon, Georgia hosted by Mercer.
 
The Colonels will play five games over the three days, opening against Radford and Drexel back-to-back at 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Friday. The squad plays another two-game set on Saturday against Mercer at 2 p.m. and Akron at 6:30 p.m. EKU plays a lone game on Sunday against Mercer at 1:15 p.m. to close the event.
 
LAST TIME OUT
                                                                                                                               
-EKU (5-3) split the weekend last weekend, falling to Valparaiso and Charleston Southern in day one but picking up wins against North Carolina Central and Valpo on Saturday.
 
-Paige Murphy, Hannah Clark, Destinee Lizzmore and Emily Corbitt each went yard on Saturday.
 
-Freshman Zoe Mihalicz led Eastern at the plate last weekend with a .500 batting average after going 6-for-12.
 
-The pitching staff combined for a 2.52 earned run average over the four games against opponents 5.40 ERA.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
 
-EKU last squared off against Radford in 2005, EKU leads the series 2-1.

• The Highlanders are 6-3 after going 2-3 last weekend at the First Pitch Classic. Picking up wins against Dayton and Charlotte, but dropping games to Dayton and UNC Wilmington.
• Marissa Gagliano leads the charge in the batter's box with a .444 average over 27 at-bats.
• Abby  Morrow leads in the circle with a 1.10 ERA and 20 strikeouts on the year.

 
-The Colonels have only faced Drexel two times and the teams split those games.

• This will be the first set of games for the Dragons this season, but they boast an FPN Pre-Season All-American in Linda Rush.

 
-Mercer leads the series with EKU, 4-2, with the last game being playing in 2014.

• The Bears hold an 8-2 record to start the season, coming off of a sweep at Florida A&M, 3-0 and 11-3.
• Meghan Rud has a team-best, .481 batting average over 27 at-bats with no hits for extra bases.
• Lauren O'Dell leads the pitching staff with a 1.17 mark.

 
-EKU has played Akron five times with the last being in 2016. The Colonels lead the series 4-1.

• The Zips have opened their season with a 1-8 mark. The lone win came last weekend against Fort Wayne.
• Sydney Jascoe leads the team with a .348 average over 23 at-bats while Mikayla Newland leads the pitchers with a 3.46 ERA.

 
LIVE STATISTICS AND VIDEO
 
Live stats will be available for each game, but there will not be any video.
 
Game: One | Two | Three | Four | Five