KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The top-two teams in the TranSouth Athletic Conference meet on Saturday for a doubleheader in what will mark the regular-season and conference finales for both squads. First-place Union has already clinched the TranSouth regular-season title and currently sits three games in front of second-place Martin Methodist. The two teams split a twin-bill on April 10 in their first meeting this season. The RedHawks took game one, 10-6, prior to the Lady Bulldogs' 6-2 victory in game two.

Union won 11-straight games from March 7 - 17 and has won 28 of its last 34 games, with five of the six losses coming in conference play. Outside of TranSouth action, the Lady Bulldogs hold wins over then-No. 24 Saint Xavier (Ill.) (March 10) and then-No. 22 Mobile (Ala.) (March 16). In their most recent outing on April 23, they dominated Blue Mountain (Miss.) by scores of 15-6 and 9-1. Union is 19-3 at home this season.

The Lady Bulldogs' pitching staff rates as one of the most difficult in the nation to hit, ranking second nationally in strikeouts (387), 10th in opponent batting average (.194) and 30th in ERA (2.12). They also employ a solid offensive attack, ranking 22nd in hits (426) and 24th in runs (270).

Sophomore leftfielder Shelby Lamb has starred as Union's biggest standout in the batter's box. She leads the Lady Bulldogs in batting average (.457), slugging percentage (.674), is tied for the team lead with four home runs and has yet to commit an error this season. Her batting average ranks 23rd in the NAIA. In the circle, Kelly Robey (16-4, 2.04 ERA) and Brooke Thomas (18-6, 2.09 ERA) have logged all but 30 of the team's 314.2 innings pitched. Thomas is 13th nationally with 179 strikeouts in 157.2 innings of work.

Martin Methodist, which sits just outside of the Top 25, rides an eight-game winning streak into play on Friday when it travels to Trevecca Nazarene for a TranSouth doubleheader. The RedHawks have feasted on the bottom three squads in the league standings during their current win streak, defeating Bethel (Tenn.) four times and Lyon (Ark.) and Mid-Continent (Ky.) twice each. Martin Methodist is 9-3 in true road contests this season.

The RedHawks boast one of the TranSouth's top offenses, ranking 28th in the NAIA in hits (407), 44th in runs (241) and 47th in doubles (67). As a pitching staff, the RedHawks have worked the sixth-most innings in the NAIA (350.1) due to a number of close games. Martin Methodist hurlers have posted a 2.48 ERA, the 46th best figure nationally.

Junior catcher Veronika Fukunishi headlines the Martin Methodist offensive attack. Last week's TranSouth Player of the Week leads the squad in batting average (.387), slugging percentage (.606), home runs (6), RBIs (44) and walks (24). Junior right-handed pitcher Chrissy Darnell sports a near-perfect 17-1 record to go with a 1.77 ERA in 142.2 innings of work. She ranks 19th in the NAIA in wins.