RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University softball team will host 12 games this weekend as part of the EKU Invitational. The Colonels will take part in five of those games.
 
Eastern will take on Western Carolina at 12:30 p.m. on Friday followed by Northern Illinois at 3 p.m. Saturday the squad will play Saint Louis at 12:30 p.m. and Akron at 3 p.m. EKU will close the tournament on Sunday with a final game against Northern Illinois at 5 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
-EKU swept the Winthrop Invitational last weekend, outscoring opponents 28-11 over the four games.
 
-Mollie Paulick pitched a shutout against the University of Albany for program and Head Coach Jane Worthington's 700^th career win.
 
-Paige Murphy led the Colonels over the weekend with a .643 batting average and 1.143 slugging percentage after going 9-for-14 at the plate with a double, two home runs and four runs batted in.
 
-Destinee Lizzmore hit two home runs in the final game to seal the 7-6 victory for EKU.
 
-Murphy leads the offensive effort on the year for Eastern, batting .460 over 16 games while Mollie Paulick (4-1) leads the defensive effort. The sophomore is tossing a 1.78 ERA with 37 strikeouts on the season.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
                                                                                                                               
-Western Carolina have met on the diamond just one time in 2006 when they fell to EKU.  

• The Catamounts are 4-11 to open the season.
• Madison Armstrong leads WCU with a .333 batting average that includes two doubles and one round-tripper.
• Haley Brogden is leading the pitching staff with a 2.43 ERA.

 
-Eastern Kentucky has never faced Northern Illinois.

• The Huskies are also 4-11 over the first 15 games.
• Dominique Greeno is leading the offensive effort with a .333 batting average while Emma Ray is tossing a 2.62 ERA from the circle.

 
-The Colonels have played Saint Louis five times. Eastern leads the series 4-1.

• The Billikens are 6-8 on the year but have won two in a row after taking down Chattanooga, 5-3, and the University of Tennessee at Martin, 5-3, in nine innings.
• Alyssa Chavez is leading SLU with a .421 batting average on the year while Maddie Baalman leads the Billikens from the rubber with a 3.22 ERA.

 
-The Zips fall behind in the series record to EKU, 5-1. The two teams met earlier this season in Macon, Georgia when Eastern won 7-1.

• Akron has opened the season with a 1-12-1 mark.
• No updated statistics were available.

 
LIVE STATISTICS AND VIDEO
 
Live video will be available for EKU's games against WCU and NIU on Friday. Live statistics will be available for all 12 games.
 
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
 
Friday, March 9
10 a.m. – Saint Louis vs. NIU            WATCH / LIVE STATS
12:30 p.m. – WCU vs. EKU               WATCH / LIVE STATS
3 p.m. – NIU vs. EKU                          LIVE STATS
5:30 p.m. – Saint Louis vs. WCU        LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, March 10
10 a.m. – Saint Louis vs. Akron         LIVE STATS
12:30 p.m. – Saint Louis vs. EKU      LIVE STATS
3 p.m. – Akron vs. EKU                      LIVE STATS
5:30 p.m. – WCU vs. NIU                   LIVE STATS
 
Sunday, March 11
9:30 a.m. – Akron vs. Saint Louis      LIVE STATS
12 p.m. – WCU vs. Akron                  LIVE STATS
2:30 p.m. – WCU vs. NIU                  LIVE STATS
5 p.m. – NIU vs. EKU                        LIVE STATS