BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Campbell's softball team (18-26-1, 5-7 Atlantic Sun) plays four more home conference games this week as the team attempts to get into position for the end of the season conference tournament. The Camels will start the week and take on East Tennessee State for two games on Thursday, April 22 at 4 p.m. CU then sends off its four senior members prior to the team's doubleheader against conference front runner Lipscomb on Saturday, April 24 at noon.

Campbell won three of four conference games last week to creep closer to .500 in league play. The team currently sits in seventh place among the eligible teams and needs to climb into sixth before the end of the season to make the conference tournament. The CU pitching staff was impressive in the last four games of the week and only allowed four runs in 28 conference innings. Senior Brittany Stanley was able to pick up two more conference wins and is now 4-2 in league play this season. Junior Lauren Stephan threw a two-hit shutout to silence the bats of North Florida on Friday, April 16. Stanley comes into the week ranked among the top 10 in the conference in league games in wins (4, t-9th), ERA (1.60, 5th) and opponent batting average (.227, t-10th).

East Tennessee State (16-30, 5-11 Atlantic Sun) defeated Mercer twice on Friday before falling twice to Kennesaw State at home on Saturday. Senior Cheniece Cason has been the team's top hitter and is hitting .350 with 34 runs, 55 hits and four triples. Fellow senior Trisha Massenzo is the top power and RBI hitter and is leading the team with four home runs and 26 RBIs. Senior Katy Jett adds the speed element with 15 stolen bases. In the circle, junior Jessica Duncan leads the team with a 3.05 ERA, seven wins, 103 innings thrown and 66 strikeouts. Sophomore Shelby Morris leads the team and is among the conference leaders with three saves. The Buccaneers have a doubleheader with North Carolina Central on Wednesday before arriving in Buies Creek. Campbell leads the all-time series by a 9-4 count. Campbell has defeated ETSU in five of the last six meetings including twice in the 2008 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.

Lipscomb (38-10, 14-2 Atlantic Sun) is the front runner in the league and have won five of the last six games. The Bison lost five straight on a midseason trip to Hawai'i, but have won 19 of the last 22 games since then. LU played a midweek series against UAB on Tuesday. The Bison defeated the Blazers in the first game as sophomore Whitney Kiihnl threw her fifth no-hitter of the season. LU fell in the nightcap though. Kiihnl has the team's highest batting average .364 (43-for-118) and the lowest ERA in league (0.60). Kiihnl, who has been named the league's pitcher of the week four times this season, is 25-2 with 262 strikeouts in 174 innings worked. She has only allowed 50 hits on the year and has thrown 11 shutouts. Senior Abby Keese leads the conference in home runs with 12 and has knocked in 32 on the season. Fellow senior Kellie Sirus leads the league with 36 RBIs and has also hit 10 home runs, 10 doubles, 41 runs and a .323 batting average. Sophomore Courtney Billington has 15 doubles and a .362 batting average this year. LU is 14-2 at home this season, but only sport a 10-6 record on the road. The Bison lead the all-time series with Campbell by an 8-4 count. The two teams split the regular season series last season.

The Camels will continue the homestand next week and take on Belmont on Saturday, May 1, at noon.