THIBODAUX – The Southeastern Louisiana softball team secured a spot in next month's Southland Conference Tournament with a doubleheader split at Nicholls on Sunday afternoon at the Colonel Softball Complex.
With only three league games remaining in the season, SLU (20-25, 14-8 Southland) has already secured one of the six berths in the league tournament, set for May 6-8 in Natchitoches. Nicholls (25-20, 11-12 Southland) is still alive for a postseason berth, but it won't be at the expense of the Lady Lions.
The weather finally cooperated on Sunday in Thibodaux. On Saturday, the teams started the series, but the game was suspended in the bottom of the second inning. SLU started Sunday by finishing the suspended game with a 2-1 victory. Junior
Taylor Bishop (13-6) threw a complete-game four-hitter for SLU, outdueling NSU junior Hannah Haydel (12-10) in a pitcher's duel.
Nicholls evened the ledger in the nightcap, as the Colonels built an early 5-0 lead on the way to a 5-2 victory. Junior outfielder
Katie Lacour and senior third baseman
Megan Moore had two hits apiece, while freshman
Nicole Ayala threw four innings of shutout relief.
Southeastern will close out its regular season road schedule on Wednesday, facing No. 2 LSU at 6 p.m. in Baton Rouge.
Game One – Southeastern Louisiana 2, Nicholls 1SLU took an early lead in the top of the second inning. With runners at first and second and two outs, Nicholls sophomore shortstop Brooke Morris sailed a throw after fielding a ground ball by junior outfielder
Amanda Livaudais, allowing senior first baseman
Teresa Lemos to score the game's first run right before the game was suspended.
Southeastern added to its lead in the third inning when the game resumed on Sunday. Lacour and senior second baseman
Vanessa Eng singled to start the inning. Lacour moved to third on a fly ball by freshman shortstop
Sydney Booker. NSU junior first baseman Alexis Huss then made a nice running grab on a foul ball by Sather, but Lacour made a heads up play to race home from third and give SLU a 2-0 lead.
The Lady Lions would not add to their lead, but Bishop made it stand. She retired 11 batters in a row before freshman designated player Kimmie Rodriguez put the Colonels on the board with a solo home run. Junior catcher Kayla Prater followed up with a single and stole second, but Bishop retired the next two batters to keep the lead at one.
Nicholls would get its final base runner in the bottom of the sixth inning, as freshman centerfielder Payton Gremillion reached on a one-out single. Sophomore shortstop Brooke Morris then hit a line drive that Booker leaped up and snagged, before throwing over to first to double up Gremillion to end the inning.
The Sugar Land, Texas native retired the Colonels in order in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure her 10
th conference victory in the circle.
Game Two – Nicholls 5, Southeastern Louisiana 2Nicholls jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning against SLU senior
Tori Stamper (2-6). A two-run single by sophomore outfielder Jessica Taylor gave the Colonels the early advantage.
Nicholls padded its lead in the bottom of the third. A two-run single by Rodriguez chased Stamper from the game and Ayala allowed a sacrifice fly to Taylor to plate another run and give the Colonels a 5-0 lead.
Southeastern stranded six runners in the first three innings against Nicholls sophomore pitcher Taylor Hastings (6-2), before scratching a run across in the top of the fourth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, NSU junior second baseman Danielle Phillips booted a Booker ground ball, allowing freshman catcher
Carlie Whittington to score the Lady Lions' first run of the game.
The Lady Lions mounted their last rally in the top of the seventh inning. Junior designated player
Amber Sather drew a leadoff walk, followed by a double by Moore to put runners at second and third with no outs. One out later, sophomore outfielder
Sloan Jenkins lifted a ball deep enough to right to plate freshman pinch runner
Grace DeLee. That would be as close as Southeastern would get, however, as NSU sophomore Jackie Johnson retired Livaudais to secure her second save of the season.
