TUSKEGEE, Ala. | The Tuskegee University softball team will close out the regular season with nine games in seven days, beginning with a three-game home series with LeMoyne-Owen College on Saturday afternoon.
 
First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm for the doubleheader on the Tuskegee campus.
 
Tuskegee (13-27, 11-4 SIAC) currently sits atop the West Division among tournament-eligible teams and has a magic number of five to clinch the top seed in the West Division. The Lady Golden Tigers still have three games remaining on the road against Miles, a team trailing Tuskegee in the race for the top spot, and Kentucky State to close out the regular season next week.
 
Since dropping their first conference game of the season, the Lady Golden Tigers have won 11 of 14 conference games – with their only three losses coming at the hands of Spring Hill College.
 
The Lady Golden Tigers enter the weekend series on a three-game winning streak after sweeping Lane last week in Jackson behind SIAC Pitcher and Player of the Week, Kaylin Finch. The freshman hit .733 with a pair of homeruns and a double in four games last week, while also going 2-1 on the mound; which included winning both of her conference starts.
 
After her weekend against Lane, Finch is hitting .368 this season with five homeruns and 23 runs batted in. She is tied for the team lead in homeruns with Jamaica Williams, and is one RBI behind Williams for the team lead.
 
Freshman Sharde Thomas is currently tied for the conference lead in hitting at .481 this season, with 50 hits in 104 official at-bats. The freshman has split time between shortstop and catcher this season, and has eight extra-base hits for the Lady Golden Tigers. She also leads the team with 10 stolen bases in 13 attempts.
 
Seniors Chante Warner and Kenyah Smith are right behind the freshmen in hitting as they are hitting .287 and .280, respectively. Fellow senior Cari Driver leads the team in sacrifice hits with 11, while Haley Plato has recorded eight.
 
The Lady Golden Tigers will turn to Finch (6-9, 4.13 ERA) and senior Karisa Foye (1-5, 4.73 ERA) this weekend on the mound. Finch has recorded 14 complete games and has 59 strikeouts in 95 innings of work, while Foye has worked 40 innings and has recorded 11 strikeouts.
 
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