RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team closes out its regular season with a key ASUN Conference series against Austin Peay.
 
The series begins with a doubleheader on Friday, with first pitch set for 2 p.m. ET and the second game scheduled for 4:30 p.m. The series concludes Saturday with a 2 p.m. first pitch.
 
Friday's doubleheader will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available throughout the weekend.
 
EKU (26-22-1, 13-6-1 ASUN) is coming off a series win against Bellarmine, rallying to take the final two games after dropping the opener.
 
SCOUTING THE GOVERNORS
 
Austin Peay (28-22, 10-11 ASUN) enters the weekend after taking a 2-1 series win over Lipscomb, clinching a spot in the ASUN Tournament.
 
The Governors feature one of the conference's most explosive offenses, ranking second in the ASUN with 69 home runs. Austin Peay is batting .298 as a team with 67 doubles and seven triples on the season.
 
Brie Howard leads the way, hitting .363 while pacing the team in runs, hits, home runs, and RBIs.
 
Sammie Shelander adds another power presence, posting 30 runs, 12 doubles, 12 home runs, and 45 RBIs while batting a team-best .384.
 
In the circle, Alanah Jones serves as the ace, going 16-11 with a 3.00 ERA. She leads the team in appearances and has recorded 98 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .237 batting average.
 
The two teams met earlier this season, with EKU taking the series 2-1 after dropping the opener.
 
Austin Peay claimed game one, 5-2, as EKU managed just three hits. In game two, a lineup adjustment proved key, as batters six through nine combined for four hits and five runs in a 10-8 EKU victory.
 
In the rubber match, the Colonels trailed for much of the game before rallying in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kennedy Drafton delivered a two-RBI double to give EKU the lead and secure a 3-2 series-clinching win.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Colonels went 2-1 last weekend, led by a standout performance from Emily Mariscal. Across two games, Mariscal recorded three RBIs, a double, and a triple while batting .833. The weekend was highlighted by a key performance in which she went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and a double, earning herself her first career ASUN Player of the Week.
 
Victoria Byrum delivered in the circle, throwing a complete game in the series finale. She allowed just four hits and one run while striking out five.
 
The series carries ASUN Tournament implications, as the Colonels could finish as high as the No. 1 seed or fall to the No. 3 seed.
 
EKU looks to build momentum heading into the ASUN Tournament as it closes out the regular season.