HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana softball team officially opened the 2017 season on Saturday, splitting a pair of games on day two of Lion Classic I Saturday night at North Oak Park.
 
The Lady Lions (1-1) opened the day with a 7-4 victory over Army (0-3). Sophomore shortstop Jaquelyn Ramon and junior outfielder Kalyn Watts led SLU with thee hits apiece, while junior outfielders Maddie Edmonston and Kinsey Nichols each drove in two runs. In her collegiate debut, freshman pitcher Tanner Wright (1-0) threw three shutout innings in relief to earn the victory.
 
In the nightcap, Nevada (3-1) edged SLU, 3-1. Nichols drove in SLU's lone run. However, Nevada pitcher McKenna Isenberg struck out 14 Lady Lions in a complete-game two-hit performance.
 
Southeastern's tournament slate closes Sunday with a 1 p.m. game versus Mississippi Valley State and a 3 p.m. contest versus Coppin State. LionVision subscribers can access a live video stream of Sunday's Field One action at www.LionSports.net/watch.
 
Game One – Southeastern Louisiana 7, Army 4
Southeastern jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Nichols beat out an infield single and later scored on a wild pitch by Renee Poirier to give the Lady Lions the early advantage.
 
After Army jumped on top with three runs in the top of the second inning, SLU cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second inning. Junior Carlie Whittington led off the frame with an infield single and later scored on an RBI groundout by Edmonston to pull the Lady Lions within 3-2.
 
Army closed out its scoring on an RBI double by Lacey Swafford in the top of the third inning to push the lead to 4-2. However, the Lady Lions tied it up in the bottom of the fourth inning. An RBI groundout by Edmonston and a sacrifice fly by Nichols plated two runs to knot the score at 4-4.
 
Army looked poised to retake the lead in the top of the fifth inning, loading the bases with no outs against SLU freshman pitcher Alley McDonald. Wright came in and shut the door, recording three straight groundouts to keep the game tied.
 
Southeastern took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth inning. Watts led off the frame with a double off the left field fence and scored when senior third baseman Mychal Truxillo ripped an RBI single up the middle to give the Lady Lions a 5-4 lead.
 
The Lady Lions scored two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ramon beat out an infield single, stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on an RBI groundout by Nichols. Later in the frame, Watts lined a triple into the right field corner to score Edmonston and give Southeastern a 7-4 advantage.
 
The first two Black Knights reached in the seventh, but Wright recovered to retire the next three batters to secure the win.
 
ARMY – 031 000 0 – 4 5 3 (0-3)
SLU – 110 212 x – 7 10 4 (1-0)
Renee Poirier and Emily Gray, Katie Ontiveros (4). Rachel Hayes, Alley McDonald (3), Tanner Wright (5) and Carlie Whittington, Brennan Bourgeois (3), Whittington (5). W – Wright (1-0). L – Poirier. 3B – SLU: Kalyn Watts (1). 2B – ARMY: Lacey Swafford. SLU: Kalyn Watts (1). T – 2:36. A – 221.
 
Game Two – Nevada 3, Southeastern Louisiana 1
Southeastern sophomore Caitlyn VanHemelryck (0-1) and Isenberg (1-1) matched zeroes until Nevada took the lead in the top of the third inning. Aaliyah Gibson, Jennifer Purcell, Erica Hansen and Alyssa Mendez collected consecutive two-out singles to give Nevada a 2-0 lead.
 
Southeastern answered in the bottom of the third inning. Ramon led off the frame with a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Edmonston, stole third and scored on a Nichols single to cut the lead to 2-1.
 
The Lady Lions would get no closer. Nevada added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning, padding the lead on an RBI single to take a two-run lead. Isenberg struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh inning to cement the 3-1 triumph.
 
2017 Lion Classic I – Feb. 10-12 – North Oak Park – Hammond, La.
 
Friday, Feb. 10
 
Field One
Nicholls 3, Army 0
Nicholls 4, Mississippi Valley State 3
 
Field Two
UT Martin 12, Nevada 4
Nevada 3, Southern Illinois 2 (8 innings)
Southeastern Illinois 11, Coppin State 0 (5 innings)
 
Saturday, Feb. 11
 
Field One
Nicholls 3, Southern Illinois 1
Mississippi Valley State 7, Coppin State 3
Southeastern Louisiana 7, Army 4
Nevada 3, Southeastern Louisiana 1
 
Field Two
UT Martin 8, Coppin State 0
UT Martin 5, Army 3 (5 innings)
Nevada 1, Nicholls 0
 
Field Three
Southern Illinois 5, Mississippi Valley State 0
 
Sunday, Feb. 12
 
Field One
11 a.m. – UT Martin vs. Mississippi Valley State
1 p.m. – Southeastern Louisiana vs. Mississippi Valley State
3 p.m. – Southeastern Louisiana vs. Coppin State
 
Field Two
9 a.m. – Army vs. Southern Illinois
11 a.m. – Army vs. Nevada
1 p.m. – Coppin State vs. Nicholls
 
Home teams listed in bold and will occupy first base dugout