HAMMOND – The Southeastern Louisiana softball team outscored Lamar, 20-3, in a convincing Southland Conference doubleheader sweep of Lamar Friday evening at North Oak Park.
The Lady Lions (16-18, 11-2 Southland) clinched their fifth consecutive league series win with Friday's two victories. Lamar fell to 17-17 overall and 10-4 in conference play.
Southeastern, which has already surpassed its conference win total from a season ago, leapfrogged the visiting Lady Cardinals in the standings and moved into a three-way tie for second place with McNeese State and Northwestern State.
Southeastern opened the day with a 12-2 run-rule win. In that win, freshman shortstop
Sydney Booker and freshman outfielder
Kinsey Nichols led SLU with three hits apiece, while junior designated player
Amber Sather and sophomore outfielder
Sloan Jenkins each homered.
Sather led SLU's 14-hit attack with four RBI, while Nichols, senior third baseman
Megan Moore and senior second baseman
Vanessa Eng each drove in two runs apiece. The Lady Lions provided plenty of offense for junior
Taylor Bishop (12-3) who scattered five hits in a complete game effort.
In the nightcap, sophomore catcher
Lacey Fritz homered twice to fuel an 8-1 SLU victory. Booker had another three hits, while Nichols hit her first collegiate home run. Bishop relieved junior
Madison Vige' in the top of the fourth and pitched four scoreless innings, allowing one hit. The Sugar Land, Texas native has won her last 10 decisions and is a perfect 9-0 in Southland Conference play.
The series concludes on Saturday at 12 p.m. at North Oak Park. Live stats and video (LionVision subscription required) will be available at LionSports.net.
Game One – Southeastern Louisiana 12, Lamar 2 (6 Innings)Lamar took the early lead in the top of the first inning. With two outs, junior shortstop Stephanie Meeuwsen hit a two-run home run over the left centerfield fence to put the Lady Cards ahead, 2-0.
Southeastern evened the game up in the bottom of the first inning against Lamar freshman Laura Napoli (12-9). Nichols singled, the scored when Booker launched her Southland-high seventh triple of the season over LU junior centerfielder Jenna Holland's head. Booker would later score on an RBI single by Moore to tie the score at 2-2.
The Lady Lions took the lead for good in the bottom of the second inning. Jenkins hit her third home run of the season just inside the left field foul pole to put SLU up, 3-2.
Lamar would mount just one more threat against Bishop, who shook off the first inning home run. In the top of the third inning, the Lady Cardinals would load the bases, but Bishop forced Holland to fly out to centerfield to maintain the one-run lead.
SLU added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Junior centerfielder
Katie Lacour led off the frame with a single, then later scored when Moore reached on a fielder's choice to put the Lady Lions up, 4-2.
Southeastern enforced the mercy rule with an eight-run sixth inning. Two-run singles by Eng and Nichols were followed by a walkoff grand slam over the left field fence by Sather. The Kennedale, Texas native's sixth home run of the season clinched the win for the Lady Lions.
Game Two – Southeastern Louisiana 8, Lamar 1Southeastern wasted no time getting to Lamar junior pitcher Lauren Dannelley (5-8) in the bottom of the first inning. Nichols got SLU started with a solo home run over the centerfield fence to put the Lady Lions on the board. Booker followed with a single, then scored when Sather laced a double into the left field corner.
One out later, Fritz deposited a two-run home run over the left field fence to score another two runs. Eng doubled home senior first baseman
Teresa Lemos to give SLU a commanding 5-0 lead after just one inning of play.
Lamar scored an unearned run off Vige' in the top of the second inning, but would get no closer. Booker doubled with one out in the bottom of the second inning, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error by sophomore catcher Brynn Baca. Later in the frame, Fritz followed a Moore walk with a two-run home run over the centerfield fence to give SLU an 8-1 lead.
Lamar threatened to make things interesting in the top of the fourth inning, loading the bases with no outs against Vige'. Southeastern head coach
Pete Langlois wasted no time going to Bishop, who retired freshman designated player Corina Thornton, freshman first baseman Katrina Mills and senior second baseman Casey Cromwell in order to leave the bases juiced.
Lamar would not threaten again, as Bishop held the Lady Cardinals scoreless over the final three innings to help SLU close out the doubleheader sweep.
