BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Interstat) — Southern (25-21) visits Texas Southern (19-22) on Friday afternoon at Jerry D. Young Memorial Field in a Southwestern Athletic Conference matchup between two teams coming off victories.

Pitcher Bobby Spencer leads Southern. The right-hander tossed seven innings of two-run ball in a 4-3, 10-inning win over Jackson State on Wednesday, striking out two while allowing eight hits. His season has been a study in contrasts: he threw seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts against Mississippi Valley State on May 1 after giving up seven earned runs in five innings against Alabama A&M on May 14.

Texas Southern counters with center fielder Shaun Williams, who went 2 for 5 with four RBIs in Thursday’s 8-7 win over Jackson State. Williams drove in five runs in a three-game series at Florida A&M last week, though the Tigers lost two of those three games. He has been streaky this season, going hitless in three of his previous five games before Thursday’s outburst.

The Tigers (3-3 in their last six games) have split their most recent meetings with Southern. On Feb. 21, Texas Southern outlasted the Jaguars 15-13 in a high-scoring affair. Southern has won six of its last eight overall, including a slugfest 15-13 win over Alabama A&M on May 16 and a 13-7 victory the day before.

Both teams opened their weeks with extra-inning wins over Jackson State. Southern’s bullpen held the Tigers scoreless over the final three innings Wednesday; relievers Genesis Prosper (2 2/3 innings, one earned run) and Caleb Ellis (1/3 inning) closed the door. Texas Southern’s Joshua Prieto threw three scoreless innings of relief Thursday, striking out three, while Jace Maynard worked a clean ninth for the save.

Spencer (4-2) will likely take the mound for Southern after his effective start against Jackson State. Texas Southern has yet to name a starter. The Tigers have lost seven of their last 10, with their only two wins in that span coming against Jackson State.

The game is the first of a series between the SWAC rivals. Southern sits above .500 and looks to gain ground in the conference standings. Texas Southern aims to build momentum after snapping a five-game losing streak Thursday.

First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Central.