HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana and Abilene Christian split one-run decisions in Friday evening's doubleheader that served as the opening of Southland Conference softball play for both teams at North Oak Park.
 
The Lady Lions (12-9, 1-1 Southland) won the nightcap, 3-2, after ACU (7-12, 1-1 Southland) rallied for a nine-inning 5-4 victory in the opener.
 
Abilene Christian freshman Kayla Keeling led off the top of the ninth inning with a solo home run to allow the Wildcats to take the opener. Junior Jaquelyn Ramon led SLU with three hits in the loss, while senior Mahalia Gibson and junior Rebecca Skains each hit two-run home runs for the Lady Lions.
 
In the nightcap, Southeastern sophomore Ali McCoy was 2-for-2 and executed a perfect suicide squeeze to score senior Peyton Sutton with the eventual game-winning run. Senior Lacey Hill (6-2) went the distance in the circle for SLU, striking out five to earn the victory.
 
The rubber game of the series is set for Saturday at noon. Live stats and video (no audio – LionVision subscription required) will be accessible on the softball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
 
Game One – Abilene Christian 5, Southeastern Louisiana 4
ACU wasted no time taking the early lead off SLU senior Rachel Hayes. Junior Donelle Johnson hit the third pitch of the game over the left field fence to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.
 
The Wildcats looked poised to break the game open in the top of the third inning, loading the bases with two outs. Hayes hit senior Brianna Barnhill to force in a run, but got out of the jam with minimal damage after forcing freshman Briana Tijerina in to an inning-ending pop up.  
Southeastern did not manage a hit off ACU senior ace Hannah Null (6-6) until the bottom of the fourth inning. Ramon led off the frame with a single to center and Gibson followed with a two-run blast over the left field fence. The Hattiesburg, Mississippi native's team-high sixth home run of the season tied the score at 2-2.
 
The game would remain deadlocked until the bottom of the sixth inning. Ramon beat out a bunt single with one out. One out later, Skains hit her first home run as a Lady Lion. The Calhoun, Louisiana native's shot easily cleared the right field fence and gave SLU a 4-2 lead.
 
ACU was able to answer in the top of the seventh inning versus SLU sophomore Tanner Wright (3-1). The Wildcats loaded the bases with three consecutive singles to open the inning. Wright struck out Keeling, then Barnhill hit a fly out deep enough to right to pull Abilene Christian within one. With two outs, senior Alyson Bishoff tied the score with a sharp single to center to force extra innings.
 
SLU had base runners in both the seventh and eighth innings, but could not scratch a run across, allowing Keeling's ninth-inning home run just inside the left field foul pole to give ACU the lead. Hull made it stand in the ninth, retiring freshman Ella Manzer, McCoy and sophomore Mattie Ort to close out the comeback win.
 
Game Two – Southeastern Louisiana 3, Abilene Christian 2
Hill and ACU freshman Calie Burris (1-3) matched zeroes until ACU took the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Senior Holly Neese led off the frame with a single and scored two outs later on an RBI single by sophomore Caroline Adair to take a 1-0 lead.
 
SLU couldn't answer until the bottom of the fifth inning. McCoy led off the inning with a double, then scored on a bloop single by freshman Madisen Blackford to tie the score. Blackford promptly stole second and Keeling's throw sailed into right field, allowing the speedster from Des Moines, Iowa to come all the way around to score and put the Lady Lions ahead, 2-1.
 
The SLU advantage would be short-lived. Neese hit the first pitch of the top of the sixth over the left field fence to tie the score at 2-2.
 
Southeastern retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Gibson drew a four-pitch walk to open the frame and gave way to Sutton, who came in to run at first. Sutton advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a one-out infield single by Manzer. McCoy then laid down a perfect bunt in front of the plate and Sutton raced home. The speedster from Slidell, Louisiana gave SLU a 3-2 advantage with the go-ahead run.
 
ACU would not go away quietly, as senior Savannah Rendon reached on a two-base error to put the tying run in scoring position with no outs. Adair came back in to run and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Tori Poullard. Hill would not be denied, however, striking out Johnson and senior Breagan Hamilton to keep the tying run at third.