MEMPHIS, Tenn. (March 11, 2025) – For the first time in nearly a month, the University of North Alabama softball team will play a true road game as the Lions end the season series with Memphis on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in "Grind City."
 
The Lions won the first meeting with Memphis on Feb. 26, opening a 10-game home stand with a 5-1 win over the Tigers in Florence. UNA finished this homestand this past Sunday with eight wins.
 
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats are available via StatBroadcast. Admission is free.
 

GAMEDAY INFO
North Alabama at Memphis
Wednesday, March 12
5 p.m.
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Venue: Tigers Softball Complex
 
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NOTES
 
LAST TIME OUT: North Alabama won three of its five games in the UNA Tournament this past weekend, including wins over Detroit Mercy, ULM and Samford. The last game was a 5-2 win over the Bulldogs. Laura Leigh Wheeler generated some national recognition from D1 Softball as a notable mid-major performer, going 11-for-15 at the plate with two homers, three doubles and seven RBIs.
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS: UNA has been on a tear this season with an 18-5 overall record. The Lions started 9-0 for the first time since the 2016 season and were among the final 10 unbeatens along with seven SEC teams and two ACC teams. UNA is the only team in the Atlantic Sun Conference among the top two teams in batting and pitching with a .303 team batting average and a 1.75 team ERA.
 
PRETTY PERFECT PITCHING: The Lions are sixth in the nation with a 1.75 ERA behind the efforts of senior ace Alivia Wilken and twin juniors Emily Simon and Katie Simon. The Simon twins, both Athens natives and transfers from Wallace State Community College, rank among the top 50 pitchers in ERA with Katie sporting a 1.37 and Emily a 1.46. Wilken, who ranked among the top 25 pitchers last season, has a 2.19 ERA this season.
 
TRIPLE THREATS: The Lions rank seventh in the nation with 13 triples this season, averaging one in every two games. Sophomore Briley Dover is a key factor in this with four triples to rank tied for first in the ASUN and seventh in the nation. Senior Hailey Jones has three triples.
 
RANKING RISERS: The Lions have been as high as No. 31 in the NCAA RPI this season and were the No. 21 team in last week's D1 Softball Mid-Major Top 25. The Lions are currently No. 53 in the RPI in the mix with ASUN teams such as Stetson (48), North Florida (56) and EKU (64) and Austin Peay (79).
 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS: Memphis enters 12-13 overall but owns a perfect 7-0 record at home this season. The exact opposite of UNA, Memphis will return home for the first time in nearly a month. Redshirt junior Kennedy Semien has led the offense virtually all season, now batting .394 on the year. Junior pitcher Rylee Dugar has a 3.69 ERA over 43.2 innings.
 
SERIES HISTORY: UNA has a 5-0 record against Memphis, including three road wins. The series started with a tight 2-1 win for UNA in 2019. UNA also won both road games in 2023, including a 6-1 win and 11-3 win just two days apart at the Blues City Classic. UNA also won both its home games with Memphis, including a 6-0 win in 2022 and a 5-1 win this season.
 
LAST MEETING WITH MEMPHIS: Junior Katie Simon was impressive in her home debut against Memphis on Feb. 26, as she allowed just one run on three hits in a 5-1 win over the Tigers. UNA had most of its offensive production early with three runs in the opening frame. Junior Bayleigh Rouse doubled down the left field line for what ended up being the go-ahead runs.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.