SAN ANGELO, Texas – The Angelo State softball team returns to Lone Star Conference action this weekend, as the No. 5 Rambelles travel to San Antonio for a three-game series against Incarnate Word. The teams will meet for a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 4 p.m. at Cardinals Field before a single game on Saturday starting at noon.
 
“Incarnate Word has the Preseason LSC Pitcher of the Year in Briana Sanchez so we know we're going to see some good pitching,” Angelo State head coach Travis Scott said. “This weekend will be a good test for us, because we didn't play how we wanted our last time out, but I know the girls are excited about the challenge.”

Angelo State (27-6, 10-2 LSC) is coming off a split with St. Mary's in a midweek, nonconference doubleheader at the ASU Softball Complex last Tuesday.  After dropping their first home game of the season in Game 1, the Belles rallied for a 4-1 victory in the second game to generate some momentum heading into the weekend.
 
“After facing a little adversity, the girls really responded in the second game,” Scott said. “It was good to see them refocus and get the win, which will hopefully carry over.”
 
Lauren Smith hit a two-run triple to help spark a 4-1 victory. The Angelo State offense is no stranger to hitting for power, as the team is slugging .564 with 43 home runs and 58 doubles. DeeshanaLynn Tafiti has 13 of those home runs and has driven in a team-high 49 runs this season.
 
In the circle, the Belles are led by a pair of lefties.  Senior power pitcher Claire Molina has recorded 93 strikeouts and compiled a 15-3 record this season.  The San Bernardino, Calif., native has a team-best 16 complete games this season in 20 appearances. Her counterpart –Mary Kate McKay (12-3) – is a crafty left that locates her pitches. The sophomore has a 2.26 earned run average and is holding her opponents to a .232 batting average this season.
 
Incarnate Word enters the weekend 19-12 overall record and 6-6 in league play behind second-year head coach Todd Bradley. The Cardinals' big offensive threat is Lee Padilla who is hitting .316 with 25 RBIs, four home runs a team-best seven doubles. Sanchez is Incarnate's top pitcher, who is 13-5 on the season. The junior boasts a 2.61 ERA and has totaled 122 strikeouts in 126.0 innings of work.
 
In last year's series, Angelo State won two-out-of-three against the Cardinals and now lead the all-time series, 32-7. In the final game of the series last year, there were some late-inning heroics by Kacie Easley. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, the Temple native hit a walk-off, two-run double to earn a 4-3 come-from-behind win.
 
Live stats will be available on AngeloSports.com or follow live updates on Twitter @AngeloSports.