Southern University will host Xavier of Louisiana at Lady Jaguar Field in Baton Rouge for its final nonconference softball doubleheader of the season on March 24, with games scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
The matchup comes as Southern, currently holding a record of 17-11 overall and 5-4 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, returns from a series win over Arkansas–Pine Bluff. The Lady Jaguars lost the opening game but rebounded with two consecutive victories to secure the series.
Key contributors included Laila Clark, who batted .600 during the Arkansas–Pine Bluff series and added two doubles. Asia George also made an impact by going 6-for-13 with extra-base hits and four stolen bases. As a team, Southern recorded a .315 batting average over the weekend, along with five doubles, three triples, and ten stolen bases.
Pitcher Aaliyah Zabala led efforts in the circle by starting two games and appearing in all three during the recent series. She pitched fourteen innings with fifteen strikeouts while allowing only three runs. Jordynn Jennings contributed as well by pitching nearly five innings in relief during game three to earn a win.
Clark continues to lead Southern’s offense this season with a .459 batting average, seven home runs, thirty-five RBIs, and remains among national leaders in several categories including slugging percentage (.865). Her fifteen-game hitting streak is currently second-longest active nationally. George has raised her average since conference play began and remains perfect on stolen base attempts. Katiana Maldonado and Abigail Mitchell have also been strong offensively this year.
Zabala holds a season ERA of 2.82 across nearly sixty innings pitched while combining with Jennings for fourteen wins so far this season as Southern approaches its regular-season conclusion.
