HAMMOND – Timely hitting up and down the lineup combined with two more strong pitching performances by junior
Taylor Bishop helped the Southeastern Louisiana softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Sam Houston State in Southland Conference action Friday evening at North Oak Park.
With the wins, Southeastern (14-17, 9-1 Southland) is off to its best Southland Conference start in school history, as the Lady Lions have won their last eight league games and have won their first four conference series. Sam Houston State fell to 8-21 overall and 1-9 in league play.
In the opener, SLU broke open a one-run game with a five-run sixth inning on the way to an 8-2 victory. Five of the Lady Lions' nine hits went for extra bases, as freshman infielder
Sydney Booker and freshman outfielder
Kinsey Nichols each tripled, while senior first baseman
Teresa Lemos, sophomore outfielder
Sloan Jenkins and sophomore catcher
Lacey Fritz each doubled. Bishop (10-3) went the distance, scattering five hits for the complete game victory.
In the nightcap, SLU jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on the way to a 6-4 victory. Fritz drove in a pair of runs, while Booker, junior designated player
Amber Sather, senior infielder
Megan Moore and senior second baseman
Vanessa Eng each had one RBI.
Junior
Madison Vige' struck out four in the first three innings, before giving way to Bishop, who allowed just two hits over the final four innings to earn the win. The reigning Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week has now set a career-high for wins in a season, won her last eight decisions and ran her conference record in the circle to 7-0.
"We're starting to believe we can win every time out," Southeastern head coach
Pete Langlois said. "Taylor has been lights out in the circle and we seem to be able to string hits together in key moments. What was encouraging today was that we saw production from everyone in the lineup. We're really proud of the effort and we want to keep on rolling."
Southeastern will look to close out its third consecutive Southland series sweep on Saturday, when the series finale is set for 11 a.m. Live stats and live video (LionVision subscription required) will be available at LionSports.net.
Game One – Southeastern Louisiana 8, Sam Houston State 2Southeastern was able to take the early lead in the bottom of the first inning against SHSU senior pitcher Meme Quinn (3-5), who loaded the bases by walking Nichols, Moore and Sather. Lemos then hit a ball to the right centerfield gap that senior centerfielder Jessica Slater and junior right fielder Jennie Kieval let fall in to clear the bases and give SLU the lead.
Bishop rolled through the Bearkat order until the top of the fourth inning, when junior third baseman Peyton Webb led off the frame with a home run. The next inning, Kieval homered to lead off the inning to cut the SLU lead to 3-2.
SLU was able to put the game away in the bottom of the sixth inning. Fritz doubled, Eng was hit by a pitch and junior outfielder
Katie Lacour beat out a bunt single to load the bases with one out. Nichols followed with a single up the middle to score a pair, then Booker cleared the bases with her team-high sixth triple – tied for the NCAA Division I lead – of the season. After Booker moved to third on a wild pitch, Sather hit a shot that Kieval caught at the wall in right field to easily score Booker and give the Lady Lions a commanding 8-2 lead.
The six-run cushion was more than enough for Bishop, who sat the Bearkats down in order in the seventh to secure the win.
Game Two – Southeastern Louisiana 6, Sam Houston State 4Southeastern sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning to get out to a commanding early advantage. Sather started SLU off with an RBI single to score Lacour, while Booker came home later on an RBI single by Moore. Fritz then singled home two more runs and later scored on an RBI double by Eng to give SLU a commanding 5-0 lead.
Vige' cruised through the first three innings before the first three batters singled in the top of the fourth, loading the bases and chasing her from the game. Senior first baseman Hillary Adams greeted Bishop by lining a grand slam off Nichols' glove and over the fence to cut the lead to 5-4. Bishop calmly retired the next three batters to get out of the frame with the lead and allowed just one hit the rest of the way.
The Lady Lions left three runners on in the next two innings, before finally getting an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Nichols lined a double over Slater's head, which Booker followed with an RBI single up the middle to give SLU a commanding 6-4 lead. In her first 31 collegiate games, the Madison, Alabama native has 38 RBI.
Bishop need just four pitches to close the game out in the top of the seventh, forcing all three batters to fly out to Nichols to complete the doubleheader sweep.
