MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama State University softball team will look to end a four-game losing streak this week, stepping out of conference to face Middle Tennessee State University in a doubleheader Wednesday on the road.
 
Alabama State (11-26) enters the contest as one of the best hitting teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) this season, hitting .292 as a team which includes an average of .372 in conference games. The Lady Hornets have 316 more at-bats as a team than Southern University, who is currently leading the conference in hitting.
 
The Lady Hornets lead the conference in hits and are second in runs scored, and triples thus far this season. The team is also near the top of the conference in doubles and home runs, combining for 67 extra-base hits.
 
Individually, Valerie Centeno is seventh in the conference in hitting due to NCAA minimums through the team's 37 games. She is hitting .370, raising her average 70 points over the last 10 games in which she is hitting nearly .700. The senior has 37 hits and 12 runs scored, while adding nine extra-base hits. She is 24th in the nation in triples with four, and 34th in triples per game.
 
Kaylee Davis continues to hit near .400 at the top of the lineup, hitting .359 with 15 runs scored and four runs batted in, while Kendall Core and Perry Hindi are each hitting .333. Core has supplied the power for the Lady Hornets with eight home runs and 32 runs batted in, as she climbs the career charts with 29 home runs (two behind the school record) and 136 runs batted in (fourth all-time). Meanwhile, Hindi has added nine extra-base hits on the year, including four home runs.
 
Diauna Nelson is the only other hitter above .300 for Alabama State, as she is hitting .321 in eight starts. Laura Aguilar (.299) and Alexia Boggess (.295) are just below .300, while Therese Byrne has raised her average 93 points in the last 10 games to .288 for the Lady Hornets. The senior recorded a school record five stolen bases in one game against Alcorn State this weekend.
 
They will be facing a Middle Tennessee (12-20) pitching staff with a 2.64 team earned run average, led by Pattie Ruth Taylor (101, 1.72 ERA) and Megan Chocallo (0-5, 1.73 ERA). Cori Jennings (6-11, 2.58 ERA) has posted the most wins with six, while Gretchen Greer (5-2, 3.56 ERA) has posted the best record.
 
The Blue Raiders are led by Precious Birdsong with a .420 batting average and 14 runs scored, while Summer Burgess has posted a .308 batting average with eight extra-base hits. They will be facing an Alabama State staff led by Vanessa Bradford (7-9, 4.76 ERA) and Justine Jean (3-11, 5.80 ERA).
 
First pitch is scheduled for 4 pm at the Blue Raider Softball Complex for the doubleheader.

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