HAMMOND – The Southeastern Louisiana softball team opened the 2016 season on a high note Friday, as the Lady Lions won a pair of games on the opening day of the Lion Classic at North Oak Park.
Under the direction of first-year head coach
Rick Fremin, SLU (2-0) opened the day with an 8-4 victory over Buffalo. Senior shortstop
Katie Lacour was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, while senior first baseman
Amber Sather hit a three-run home run. Senior
Taylor Bishop (1-0) scattered four hits in 4.2 innings of relief in the opener.
In the nightcap, the Lady Lions overwhelmed Tennessee State, 8-0, as freshman
Peyton Pigniolo (1-0) threw a complete-game one-hit shutout in her collegiate debut. Sather drove in four runs, as she, Lacour and sophomore outfielder
Kinsey Nichols collected two hits apiece.
In other action on Friday, Tennessee-Martin defeated Buffalo, 4-3, and lost to Southern Illinois, 3-0. Nicholls picked up a pair of victories, defeating Southern Illinois, 2-0, and Mississippi Valley State, 11-0. Tennessee State also earned a 10-2 victory over MVSU.
Southeastern will open play on Saturday with a 2:30 p.m. game versus Southern Illinois and will also play Tennessee-Martin at 4:30 p.m. Live stats and live video (LionVision subscription required) will be accessible at
www.LionSports.net.
Game One – Southeastern Louisiana 8, Buffalo 4Southeastern jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning against Ally Power (0-1). A single by Lacour, followed by walks to Sather and freshman outfielder
Taylor Estain loaded the bases. Freshman third baseman
Brittney Wingate then drew a walk to score Lacour and give the Lady Lions the early advantage.
Buffalo loaded the bases against senior pitcher
Madison Vige' in the top of the second inning before Bishop came in to pitch. The Bulls would manage to scratch across two runs to take a 2-1 lead.
Southeastern would even the score quickly in the bottom of the second inning with a two-out rally. Lacour drew a walk, stole second and scored on an RBI single through the left side by Nichols to knot the tally at 2-2.
The Lady Lions took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning. Freshman second baseman
Angelica Gutierrez beat out an infield single and later scored on an RBI double by Lacour. Nichols was hit by a pitch to put a pair of runners on, then Sather bombed a three-run home run over the left field fence to give SLU a commanding 6-2 advantage.
A solo home run by third baseman Lauren Gambone cut the SLU lead to 6-3 in the top of the fifth inning. The Lady Lions bounced back in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sather beat out an infield single to open the frame. One out later, senior
Sydney McCullough tripled into the right centerfield gap to score freshman
Kameryn Fairchild. McCullough would later score on an RBI double by freshman
Taylar Fuselier to push Southeastern's lead to 8-3.
Buffalo would score a run in the top of the seventh inning against freshman
Caitlyn VanHemelryck. The Covina, California native would not let the Bulls get any closer, closing out the win for Southeastern.
BUF – 020 010 1 – 4 7 0 (0-2)
SLU – 110 402 x – 8 12 3 (1-0)
Ally Power, Charlotte Miller (4), Taylor Light (6) and Katie Weimer.
Madison Vige',
Taylor Bishop (2),
Caitlyn VanHemelryck (7) and
Whitney Sullivan,
Carlie Whittington (7). W – Bishop (1-0). L- Power (0-1). HR – BUF: Lauren Gambone; SLU:
Amber Sather. 3B – SLU:
Sydney McCullough. 2B – SLU:
Katie Lacour,
Taylar Fuselier. T – 2:19. A – 331.
Game Two – Southeastern Louisiana 8, Tennessee State 0Southeastern jumped all over TSU starter Lauren Powell (0-1) in the bottom of the first inning. Lacour and Nichols beat out infield singles to open the frame, then both scored when Sather hit a double over the head of Tiger centerfielder Courtney Gearlds. Another run would score on a fielder's choice off the bat of Wingate to give SLU a 3-0 lead.
The Lady Lions doubled their lead in the bottom of the second inning. A double by Lacour and a bunt single by Nichols put a pair of runners on. Sather came through again, singling to right centerfield to score both runners and give the Kennedale, Texas native seven RBI on the day. Later in the inning, Sather scored on an RBI single up the middle by Wingate to put Southeastern up, 6-0.
Staked to a huge lead, Pigniolo was dominant in the circle. The River Ridge, Louisiana native carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning on the way to the complete game victory.
Southeastern ended the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Singles by junior third baseman
Mychal Truxillo and sophomore second baseman
Grace DeLee put a pair of Lady Lions on base with one out. Freshman catcher
Whitney Sullivan then roped a double off the left centerfield fence to score both runners and enforce the mercy rule.
TSU – 000 00 – 0 1 0 (1-1)
SLU – 330 02 – 8 11 1 (2-0)
Lauren Powell, Lauren Woodard (3) and Whitney Ennis, Emma Colegrove (4).
Peyton Pigniolo and
Whitney Sullivan. W – Pigniolo (1-0). L – Powell (0-1). 2B – SLU:
Katie Lacour (2),
Amber Sather (1),
Whitney Sullivan (1). T – 1:41. A – 331.
2016 Lion ClassicHome teams listed in bold and will occupy first base dugout Friday, February 12 Field OneTennessee-Martin 4, Buffalo 3
Southeastern Louisiana 8, Buffalo 4
Southeastern Louisiana 8, Tennessee State 0 (5 innings)
Field TwoSouthern Illinois 3, Tennessee-Martin 0
Nicholls 2, Southern Illinois 0
Tennessee State 10, Mississippi Valley State 2 (5 innings)
Nicholls 11, Mississippi Valley State 0 (5 innings)
Saturday, February 13 Field One10 a.m. –
Mississippi Valley State vs. Tennessee-Martin
12 p.m. –
Mississippi Valley State vs. Southern Illinois
2:30 p.m. –
Southeastern Louisiana vs. Southern Illinois
4:30 p.m. –
Southeastern Louisiana vs. Tennessee-Martin
Field Two10 a.m. –
Tennessee State vs. Buffalo
12 p.m. –
Tennessee State vs. Nicholls
2:30 p.m. –
Buffalo vs. Nicholls
Sunday, February 14 Field One11 a.m. –
Southeastern Louisiana vs. Tennessee State
1 p.m. –
Southeastern Louisiana vs. Mississippi Valley State
Field Two10 a.m. – Southern Illinois vs.
Buffalo1 p.m. – Tennessee-Martin vs.
Nicholls
