Sam Houston State defeated Texas Southern 15-7 in a road non-conference duel Wednesday afternoon in Houston. The victory lifted the Bearkats' 2011 record to 10-15.

The contest was a warm-up for the Kat softball team's first home Southland Conference series. Sam Houston will play host to Texas State Saturday and Sunday at the Bearkat Softball Complex.

The Bearkats stand 3-2 in Southland action through the first week of the season. Sam Houston took two of three games in their series with Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches and split a doubleheader with Nicholls in Thibodaux last week.

Kim Damian leads Sam Houston with a .438 batting average so far this year. Damian has totaled 32 hits with six doubles and two home runs and has 15 RBIs.

Other top hitters for the Kats are Alex Survant with a .366 average and Hailey Wiginton with a .346 batting mean.

Sam Houston has seen success with the long ball so far in 2011 with a team total of 19 home run.s

Wiginton leads the squad with five including a game-winning three-run homer last Sunday at Nicholls. Other top sluggers for the Kats are Sarah Allison with four homers and Tayler Gray with three.