HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana softball team continued its prolific offensive output, as the Lady Lions opened a five-game home stand with a doubleheader sweep of Alcorn State in non-conference action Tuesday evening at North Oak Park.
 
The Lady Lions (17-11) extended their winning streak to five games with Tuesday's victories, as SLU has scored 61 runs during those five wins. Alcorn State fell to 1-18 overall, as the Lady Braves' losing streak grew to 15 games.
 
In the opener, SLU earned a 9-1 mercy-rule victory. Senior Mahalia Gibson led the Lady Lions with three RBI, while junior Rebecca Skains drove in two runs. Southeastern finished with 11 hits to back up senior Lacey Hill (7-3) and freshman Shelby Sitzman, who combined to hold the Lady Braves to four hits.
 
Senior Peyton Sutton was 2-for-2, while seniors Maddie Edmonston and Grace DeLee drove in two runs apiece in SLU's 10-5 victory in the nightcap. Southeastern tied a single-game school record with 13 stolen bases in the win, while senior Rachel Hayes (5-5) struck out seven batters in three innings of shutout relief to earn her third straight victory.
 
Southeastern will welcome league leader Nicholls for a three-game Southland Conference series. The series opens with a 5 p.m. contest on Friday and concludes with a noon doubleheader on Saturday.
 
Friday's game will be televised on a tape delay by the Southeastern Channel and the broadcast will be streamed live on the Southland Digital Network at www.southland.org/live. LionVision subscribers can access a video stream (no audio) of Saturday's doubleheader at www.LionSports.net/watch.
 
Saturday is Youth Day for the Southeastern-Nicholls softball doubleheader. Fans 12 and under will receive a discounted ticket for Saturday's twin bill.
 
Game One – Southeastern Louisiana 9, Alcorn State 1 (5 Innings)
Alcorn State took the early lead in the top of the first inning. Freshman Amari Ramsey hit Hill's second pitch of the game over the left field fence to put the Lady Braves ahead, 1-0.
 
The lead would be short-lived. Edmonston led off the bottom of the first inning with a bunt single, stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and eventually scored on a RBI groundout by Skains to knot the score at 1-1.
 
SLU took the lead for good in the bottom of the second inning versus ASU senior Robin Harrison (0-6). Sophomore Ali McCoy reached on a leadoff infield single, then scored when freshman Ella Manzer deposited a RBI double into the right centerfield gap. One out later, senior Kinsey Nichols singled home Manzer. Nichols would eventually score on an error by Ramsey to close out the frame's scoring and put the Lady Lions ahead, 4-1.
 
Alcorn State loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the third inning via a walk, an error and a single. Hill squashed the threat by forcing sophomore Taja Landry to ground out to keep the lead at 4-1.
 
SLU blew open the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Consecutive bunt singles by Nichols, Edmonston and junior Jaquelyn Ramon loaded the bases to open the frame, then Gibson ripped a two-run single through the left side to score Nichols and Edmonston. Ramon would later score on a sacrifice fly by Skains. RBI singles by sophomores Mattie Ort and McCoy closed out the inning, which saw SLU send nine batters to the plate on the way to a 9-1 advantage.
 
Hill and Sitzman combined for a scoreless fifth inning to close out the run-rule win.
 
Game Two – Southeastern Louisiana 10, Alcorn State 5
Alcorn State jumped on SLU junior starter Caitlyn VanHemelryck in the top of the first inning. An RBI single by junior Victoria Tyler and a sacrifice fly by freshman Malea Dickerson staked the Lady Braves to a 2-0 lead.
 
Southeastern would claim its first lead in the bottom of the second inning against ASU sophomore starter Ambria Dorsey (0-2). Ort singled to lead off the inning, moved to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on an error by senior Taylor Hughes.
 
Two more runs came in on a RBI double by Edmonston. The speedster from St. Amant, Louisiana scored the inning's final run, while Ramon avoided the third out during a rundown long enough for Edmonston to come home for a 4-2 SLU lead.
 
Alcorn State put a pair of runners on in the top of the third inning. VanHemelryck, making her 2018 debut in the circle, got out of the jam with a strikeout of Dickerson to keep the Lady Lion advantage to 4-2.
 
ASU put two more runners on in the top of the fourth inning, chasing VanHemelryck with two outs. Sophomore Alley McDonald maintained the lead, forcing Ramsey to foul out to end the inning.
 
SLU added a run without a hit in the bottom of the fifth inning. Senior Carlie Whittington drew a leadoff walk and was bunted into scoring position by senior Alli Daigle. Whittington would score after a pair of wild pitches by Dorsey to advance the Southeastern lead to 5-2.
 
Alcorn State would not go away, quietly, however. The Lady Braves touched up McDonald and Hayes for five consecutive singles in the top of the fifth inning to tie the score at 5-5. Hayes would bounce back to keep the score deadlocked, striking out freshman Sophia Patonis, junior Kaylene Smith and freshman Desirea Lindsey to end the ASU rally.
 
Southeastern would answer to retake the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Freshman Anna Rodenberg walked and Sutton singled to put a pair on. After stolen bases by each put runners on second and third, RBI by Ort and McCoy scored both Rodenberg and Sutton. McCoy would later score on a wild pitch to give the Lady Lions an 8-5 lead.
 
The Lady Lions added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Singles by Rodenberg and Sutton put a pair of runners on. After the speedsters each stole a base, DeLee lined a two-run single into right centerfield to extend the SLU advantage to 10-5.
 
Alcorn State loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning with two outs, thanks to a bloop single and a pair of errors. Hayes shook it off, striking out Lindsey to close out the doubleheader sweep.
 
Edmonston, Rodenberg, Sutton, Ort and Nichols each swiped two bags as the Lady Lions finished with 13 steals, tying the school record set in a 6-2 win at Northwestern State on May 7, 2016.