HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana continued the trend of run first, ask questions later under first-year head coach Rick Fremin, stealing 15 bases on the way to a doubleheader sweep of Alabama A&M in non-conference softball action Friday afternoon at North Oak Park.
 
Southeastern (7-1) opened the day with a 9-7 victory over the visiting Lady Bulldogs (0-6). The Lady Lions tied a single-game school record with nine stolen bases in the opener, matching the tally the 1989 Lady Lions had versus West Georgia.
 
In the opening win, senior shortstop Katie Lacour and sophomore outfielder Kinsey Nichols had two hits each to highlight a 10-hit attack. Senior Taylor Bishop (5-0) struck out seven and scattered four hits in five innings to earn the victory in the circle.
 
In the nightcap, SLU blew open the game with a six-run fourth inning on the way to a 10-1 mercy rule victory. Sophomore designated player Carlie Whittington, senior first baseman Amber Sather and junior third baseman Mychal Truxillo had two RBI apiece, while sophomore outfielder Peyton Stokes-Sutton was 3-for-3 at the plate.
 
Junior Kasey Nielson (1-0) allowed just one hit in four innings of work to earn her first collegiate win in the circle in the nightcap.
 
Southeastern will look to complete the series sweep on Saturday, hosting the Bulldogs for a 12 p.m. doubleheader. Live stats and live video (LionVision subscription required) will be accessible at www.LionSports.net.
 
Game One – Southeastern Louisiana 9, Alabama A&M 7
Southeastern jumped out to a 2-0 lead against AAMU sophomore pitcher Jordan Bradley (0-2) in the bottom of the first inning. Lacour singled, stole second and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Sather. Later in the inning, Nichols walked and scored on an RBI single by Truxillo to give SLU the early advantage.
 
The Lady Lions padded their lead in the bottom of the second inning. Freshman second baseman Angelica Gutierrez drew a leadoff walk and scored when freshman catcher Whitney Sullivan followed with an RBI double. Sullivan would later score on an RBI single by Whittington. Whittington would later score on an RBI single by Sather to give Southeastern a commanding 5-0 lead.
 
Southeastern put the game seemingly out of reach in the bottom of the third. The first three runs of the frame scored on Alabama A&M errors, while Nichols drove in another run on an RBI single to put the Lady Lions up, 9-0.
 
Bishop finally got into trouble in the top of the fourth inning, as the Lady Bulldogs scored four runs to cut the SLU lead to 9-4.
 
The Lady Bulldogs took advantage of three Southeastern errors in the top of the seventh inning to cut the lead to 9-7, but senior Madison Vige' struck out junior right fielder Eriel Lawson to close out the victory.
 
Game Two – Southeastern Louisiana 10, Alabama A&M 1 (5 Innings)
The Lady Lions opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning against sophomore Rachel Sanders (0-2). Lacour led off the game with a single, stole second and third, then scored on a passed ball by freshman catcher Taylor Cooper. Later in the inning, Whittington walked, stole second and later scored on a throwing error by sophomore shortstop Kia Lang to give SLU a 2-0 lead.
 
Southeastern doubled its lead in the bottom of the third inning. Sather doubled with one out, then senior pinch runner Amanda Livaudais stole third and scored on a throwing error by junior third baseman Brandi Foreman. Gutierrez singled home another run to push the Lady Lions to a 4-0 cushion.
 
After Alabama A&M got on the board in the top of the fourth, SLU sent 11 players to the plate in the bottom of the frame. A two-run single by Whittington was followed by RBI singles by Nichols, Sather, Truxillo and Stokes-Sutton to give the Lady Lions a 10-1 lead. Vige' tossed a perfect fifth inning to secure the run-rule win.