HAMMOND – Louisiana Tech rode a three-run first inning to a 4-1 victory over Southeastern Louisiana in non-conference softball action Wednesday evening at North Oak Park.
 
Southeastern (12-5) left seven on base in the loss. Louisiana Tech improved to 12-3 with the victory.
 
Southeastern was led at the plate by sophomore second baseman Grace DeLee, who went 2-for-3. Senior first baseman Amber Sather drove in SLU's lone run. Senior ace Taylor Bishop (7-2) went the distance in the circle for the Lady Lions, allowing two earned runs and seven hits in the complete-game effort.
 
Louisiana Tech would score all the runs it would need in the top of the first inning. Senior third baseman Anna Cross led off the frame with a towering solo home run to straight away centerfield. A Lady Lion error led to two more unearned runs and staked the Lady Techsters to an early 3-0 lead.
 
Southeastern came back against Tech sophomore starter Bailey Allen in the bottom of the frame. Senior shortstop Katie Lacour drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore designated player Carlie Whittington and advanced to third on a groundout by sophomore outfielder Kinsey Nichols.
 
A sharp two-out single up the middle by Sather plated Lacour and cut the Louisiana Tech lead to 3-1. The RBI was the team-high 19^th of the season for the Kennedale, Texas native.
 
From that point forward, the story of the game was missed opportunities for head coach Rick Fremin's SLU squad. Southeastern mounted a threat in the bottom of the second, as DeLee and freshman catcher Whitney Sullivan opened the frame with consecutive singles. Allen bore down and retired the next three batters to get out of the jam.

The Lady Lions had another prime scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth inning. Sophomore Brittney Wingate reached on a Cross error, which Nichols followed with a single to put a pair of runners on with one out. However, sophomore reliever Carolina Sanchez (1-0) forced Sather to ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to end the Lady Lion rally.
 
Louisiana Tech added an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning on back-to-back two-out pinch-hit doubles by junior Jessica Ball and freshman Taria Page. Tech freshman pitcher Preslee Gallaway made the lead stand up by pitching a perfect seventh for her second save of 2016.
 
Southeastern will be back in action this weekend, hosting unbeaten UT Arlington for a three-game non-conference series. The series opens with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and concludes with an 11 a.m. contest on Sunday. Live stats and live video (LionVision subscription required) for the series will be accessible at www.LionSports.net. Sunday will feature a Cub Club Celebration, as Cub Club members will receive a special craft and free pizza courtesy of Southeastern Athletics Marketing and Promotions.