PITTSBURG – The Pittsburg State University softball team will begin conference action this weekend on the road against No. 13 Central Oklahoma and Newman.
 
Friday (Mar. 7) the Gorillas and Bronchos will meet at Gerry Pinkston Stadium for a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m. (CST). To end the weekend Pitt State will travel north to Wichita and play the Newman Jets in a twinbill on Saturday (Mar. 8) beginning at noon at the NU Softball Field.
 
So far this season Pittsburg State is 13-5, going 7-3 in their last 10 games. Leading the offense is Heather Arnett with a .565 average, 35 hits, 24 runs scored and 17 stolen bases. Alleyna Rushing is second on the team with a .452 average with 12 runs scored and five stolen bases. Courtney Storey (446) and Kadyn Trochim (.333) combined account for 36 runs driven in, while Kendall Forbes (.310) rounds out qualified hitters batting above .300.
 
In the circle, Aydenne Brown (5-2, 2.83 ERA) and Ava Laurent (7-3, 3.42 ERA) are the starters this season. Brown is limiting opponents to a .161 average in 34.2 innings of work with 50 strikeouts (10.10 per seven innings) and a 1.07 WHIP. Laurent this season in 55.1 innings has a .238 opponent batting average with 62 strikeouts (7.84 per seven innings) and a 1.30 WHIP.
 
No. 13 Central Oklahoma enters the weekend with an 18-3 record, winners of six straight. Rylee Lemos leads the team with a .485 average, 34 runs scored, 32 hits, seven home runs and has eight stolen bases. Kennedy Clark is hitting .448 with 22 RBI, Terin Ritz (.424) has four home runs and 29 runs driven in while scoring 22 runs herself. Rylee Anglen (.381), Emily Deramus (.323), Brooklyn Ryan (.321) and Ariah Mitchell (.316) round out the qualified hitters batting above .300.
 
Shelby Beard (9-0, 1.13 ERA) leads the pitching staff with a .187 opponent batting average from 37.1 innings pitched and 43 strikeouts. Sydney Ward (4-1, 2.47 ERA) has a team-high 39.2 innings pitched with 43 strikeouts and a .214 opponent batting average. Ritz (3-2, 2.63 ERA) rounds out the most used pitchers this season with 37.1 innings of work, 30 strikeouts and has a .264 opponent batting average.
 
Newman enters the weekend with a 4-16 overall record and is on a seven game losing streak. AJ Borja (.340) leads the team with 16 runs scored and 17 hits, drawing 17 walks for a .500 on base percentage. Gianna Navarro is the other qualified hitter for the Jets to bat above .300 at .300 and has driven in 14 runs this season.
 
In the circle the Jets have four starters; Kinyon DeCorte (1-3, 5.13 ERA), Maddie Rae Romo (1-2, 5.32 ERA), Paola Zamacona (1-3, 7.32 ERA) and Katelyn Westover (0-6, 8.02 ERA). DeCorte has the most innings pitched at 30.0, Romo leads the team as the only double digit strikeout artist at 23 and has the lowest opponent batting average of the group at .327.