ABILENE, Texas – Junior designated player
Amber Sather and freshman third baseman
Sydney Booker each hit three home runs to help Southeastern Louisiana secure a Southland Conference series win over Abilene Chrisitan with a doubleheader split on Saturday at Poly Wells Field.
Booker and Sather each homered twice in the rubber game of the series that SLU (7-13, 2-1 Southland) won, 16-7, in five innings. Senior second baseman
Vanessa Eng also homered for the second straight day to help the Lady Lions take the series from host ACU (4-15, 1-2 Southland).
In the opening game of the day, Booker, Sather, sophomore outfielder
Sloan Jenkins and sophomore catcher
Lacey Fritz each homered. However, it was not enough, as ACU countered with three home runs of its own to pull away for a 12-7 victory.
Sather also drew three walks on the day to move her career total to 80 and set a new SLU career standard in the category, surpassing the previous record of 78 held by former Lady Lion Allyson McCubbins.
Southeastern will return to action on Wednesday, hosting Cleveland State for a 4 p.m. doubleheader at North Oak Park. Live stats and live video (LionVision subscription required) will be accessible at LionSports.net.
Game One – Abilene Christian 12, Southeastern Louisiana 7Southeastern jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning. After a walk issued to junior outfielder
Katie Lacour and a single by Booker put a pair of runners on, Sather drilled a three-run home run over the left centerfield fence to give the Lady Lions a 3-0 advantage.
ACU knotted the contest against freshman
Nicole Ayala (2-3) in the bottom of the first inning. Shortstop Peyton Hedrick tied the game with a three-run home run. The Wildcats took the lead in the second inning on a grand slam by Alyson Bishoff that put ACU up, 7-3.
The Wildcats added two runs in the fourth on a two-run home run by right fielder Brianna Barnhill to push the lead to 9-3. In the fifth inning, Booker launched a home run over the right field fence to pull the Lady Lions within five at 9-4.
Southeastern mounted one last rally in the top of the sixth inning. Jenkins and Fritz led off the frame with back-to-back home runs, then freshman outfielder
Kinsey Nichols doubled in another run to slice the ACU lead to 9-7. With two outs and the bases loaded, reliever Julia Montoya forced senior shortstop
Megan Moore to pop out to end the rally.
ACU put the game away in the bottom of the sixth inning, adding three insurance runs. Montoya sat down SLU in order in the top of the seventh to earn her first save of the season.
Game Two – Southeastern Louisiana 16, Abilene Christian 7 (5 Innings)The Lady Lions opened the game with three runs in the top of the first inning versus Seidel (3-12). Booker homered in the game's first two runs and another run would come in on a RBI single by Jenkins.
Southeastern added to its lead in the top of the second inning. Lacour drove in the inning's first run, Sather followed with a two-run home run and Eng scored on a wild pitch to put SLU up, 7-0.
After ACU cut into the lead against SLU junior pitcher
Taylor Bishop (5-3) with three runs in the bottom of the second inning, Southeastern blew the game open in the top of the third inning. Three-run home runs by Eng and Booker put SLU up, 13-3, heading into the bottom of the third.
Sather closed the power bonanza with her second home run of the game in the top of the fifth inning to give the Lady Lions a 16-6 cushion heading into the top of the fifth inning. ACU managed one run against junior pitcher
Madison Vige', but could not get close enough to avoid the mercy rule.
