Box Score

LAKE CHARLES, La. – For the first time since 2001, the Southeastern Louisiana softball team opened the Southland Conference Tournament with a victory, blanking Sam Houston State, 7-0, Tuesday evening at Joe Miller Field.
 
Southeastern (36-19) will advance to play top-seeded Nicholls (38-13) to open Wednesday's action at 11 a.m. Sam Houston State (23-32) will play in an elimination game on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
 
SLU senior Rachel Hayes (16-8) struck out seven in five shutout innings to earn the victory in the circle. Sophomores Ali McCoy and Mattie Ort, along with senior Mahalia Gibson led a 10-hit Southeastern attack with two hits each. McCoy also led with two RBI, while freshman Ella Manzer, freshman Madison Watson, Gibson and senior Maddie Edmonston each drove in runs.
 
The Lady Lions, who lead the nation in stolen bases, set a new single-season school record for steals. SLU swiped six bags, giving them 177 for the season and breaking the previous program standard of 172 set in 2016. Senior Kinsey Nichols, freshman Anna Rodenberg and junior Jaquelyn Ramon had two steals apiece to help SLU set the record.
 
Southeastern stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings, but it was the Bearkats who mounted the first big scoring threat in the top of the fourth. Singles by sophomores Tiffany Thompson and Megan McDonald put a pair of runners on with one out, but Hayes struck out junior Codi Carpenter and forced freshman Bailey White to fly out to left to keep SHSU off the board.
 
SLU finally got to SHSU sophomore starter Kaitlynn Dawson in the bottom of the fourth inning. Junior Rebecca Skains, Ort and McCoy opened the inning with consecutive singles, with McCoy's base knock plating senior pinch runner Peyton Sutton to put SLU on the board.
 
Southeastern added to its lead when Ort scored on an RBI groundout by Manzer. Watson then followed with an RBI double off the right centerfield fence to cap a 10-pitch at-bat and case Dawson from the game down 3-0.
 
Rodenberg replaced Watson on the base paths and stole third and home to put SLU ahead, 4-0. Later in the frame, Ramon walked, stole second and third and scored on an RBI single by Edmonston to give the Lady Lions a commanding 5-0 advantage.
 
SLU padded its lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Senior Mahalia Gibson led off the inning with a single then gave way to senior pinch runner Carlie Whittington. Whittington would eventually score when McCoy flared a double just inside the right field line to give the Lady Lions a 6-0 lead.
 
Southeastern closed out its scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning. Edmonston walked, advanced to second on a single by Nichols and scored on an RBI single by Gibson to put SLU on top, 7-0.  
 
The first three days of tournament play will be streamed live on the Southland Digital Network at www.southland.org/live and via the Southland Conference app. The tournament's championship game will be televised on ESPNU. Links to live stats and video will be accessible on the softball schedule page at www.LionSports.net. The winner of the tournament will receive the Southland's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
 
2018 Southland Conference Softball Tournament
May 8-11, 2018 | Joe Miller Field | Lake Charles, Louisiana
 
Tuesday, May 8 (All Games on Southland Digital Network)
Game 1 – No. 8 Sam Houston State 9, No. 5 Central Arkansas 1 (UCA eliminated)*
Game 2 – No. 7 Northwestern State 4, No. 6 Abilene Christian 3 (ACU eliminated)*
Game 3 – No. 4 Southeastern Louisiana 7, Sam Houston State 0
Game 4 – No. 3 McNeese vs. Northwestern State, 6:30 p.m.
* - Single-elimination
 
Wednesday, May 9 (All Games on Southland Digital Network)
Game 5 – No. 1 Nicholls vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 11 a.m.
Game 6 – No. 2 Stephen F. Austin vs. Winner Game 4, 1:30 p.m.
Game 7 – Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 5, 4 p.m.
Game 8 – Sam Houston State vs. Loser Game 6, 6:30 p.m.
 
Thursday, May 10 (All Games on Southland Digital Network)
Game 9 – Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 11 a.m.
Game 10 – Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 1:30 p.m.
Game 11 – Loser Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 4 p.m.
 
Friday, May 11
Game 12 – Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11, Noon (ESPNU)
Game 13 – Rematch only necessary if Winner Game 11 wins Game 12, TBD (ESPN3)
Tournament winner advances to the NCAA Tournament