HENDERSON, Nev. (April 24, 2019) – The way the College of Southern Nevada softball team has been playing lately, it would seem no trial is too harsh for the Coyotes.
 
CSN is on a six-game winning streak, coming off a four-game sweep of Colorado Northwestern Community College to advance to a season-best fourth-place in the Scenic West Athletic Conference standings. CSN is 13-15 in league and holds a solid lead over USU Eastern for fifth in the league. It should come as no coincidence then that the Coyotes are scheduled to host USU Eastern in a four-game series at Lady Coyote Softball Field this weekend, along with the annual "Sophomore Day" festivities.
 
While the team is excited for what is to come in the final home series of the season, CSN coach Ashley Johnston said in her weekly comments to csncoyotes.com that her program continues to build overall confidence.
 
"We are just playing our best softball right now," she said. "The girls are all stepping up. Our pitchers have seemed to settle down and keep us in ball games, making a big difference. We are also swinging a hot bat."
 
The Lady Coyotes certainly had confidence after picking up a number of late victories in their sweep of CNCC, including a multi-run comeback in Friday's late game. CSN has the second-longest winning streak in the Scenic West behind Salt Lake's 14-game streak, helping the team to enter the USU Eastern series with steam.
 
Southern Nevada and USU Eastern split in their previous matchup this season in Price, setting the tone for what has become a back-and-forth race for fourth place in the league standings. However, since the split, the two teams have had different tones as CSN has consistently improved while the Eagles are on a four-game losing streak.
 
This weekend, CSN will also be honoring its sophomores – an annual highlight for any junior college program. The Lady Coyotes will honor Brianna Hernandez-Silva, Avery Rayos, Breanna Alvarez, Kristie Thomas, Haley Kassel and Sabrina Saldate, Elise Bush, Haley Kassel - five of the players are Southern Nevada natives.
 
Johnston said the ability to honor individuals will give her team extra stream as they prepare to matchup against USU Eastern.
 
"I like where we are at as a team right now," she said. "This will be the last time some of these girls will play on this field so I'm hoping they leave it all out there. The girls have a lot of confidence and want to go out with a bang."
 
The Lady Coyotes and Eagles will begin their four-game series at 1:00 p.m. on Friday at Lady Coyote Softball Field. The two teams will play doubleheaders on both Friday and Saturday. Live stream and stats for the series will be available at csncoyotes.com.