HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana softball team split a pair of non-conference contests on the opening day of Lion Classic I on Friday at North Oak Park.
Southeastern (1-2) opened the day with a 4-3 victory over Southern Illinois (0-2), as
Rebecca Skains hit a walk-off two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning to propel SLU to victory. Skains,
Ella Manzer and
Lindsey Rizzo each had two hits apiece for the Lady Lions.
Alley McDonald scattered four hits in six innings of work versus the Salukis, while
Sophie Hannabas (1-1) pitched the final frame for her first collegiate victory.
The Lady Lions out-hit Northern Illinois (1-1), 11-7, in the nightcap, but took a 7-3 loss. Southeastern could not come up with enough key hits, as the Lady Lions stranded 13 base runners in the loss. Skains,
Jaquelyn Ramon,
Briahna Bennett and
Mima Doucet collected two hits apiece to fuel the SLU offense.
Tanner Wright allowed two hits and struck out five in 4.2 innings of relief versus NIU. Bennett (0-1) took the loss after allowing three runs in her first collegiate start in the circle.
Southeastern will look to avenge Friday's loss on Saturday, when it faces Northern Illinois at 1 p.m. The Lady Lions close out day two of the tournament with a 3:30 p.m. contest versus Mississippi Valley State.
In Friday's other games, Nicholls blanked SIU, 9-0, while San Jose State defeated Northern Illinois, 3-2, and Mississippi Valley State, 4-0.
Game One – Southeastern Louisiana 4, Southern Illinois 3
McDonald and SIU starter Claire Miller (0-1) were mired in a pitcher's duel through the first three innings, before the Salukis struck first. Maddy Vermejan collected Southern Illinois' first hit of the contest to lead off the top of the fourth inning and scored on a RBI single by Katelyn Massa to give SIU a 1-0 advantage.
SLU threatened in the first, fourth and fifth innings before finally breaking through in the bottom of the sixth inning. One out after Ramon led off the frame with an infield single, Manzer lined an 0-1 pitch over the left centerfield fence. The Alexandria, Louisiana native's first home run of the season gave the Lady Lions a 2-1 lead.
Southern Illinois answered in its final trip to the plate. Consecutive RBI doubles by Kyleigh Decker and Ashley Wood sent the Salukis into the bottom of the seventh inning with a 3-2 cushion.
The Lady Lions would just not be denied.
Madison Watson and Rizzo opened the inning with consecutive singles to chase Miller from the game. Brianna Jones retired the next two batters to put Southeastern on the cusp of defeat. However, Skains had other ideas, powering a 1-2 pitch off the centerfield fence to clear the bases and give SLU the comeback victory.
Game Two – Northern Illinois 7, Southeastern Louisiana 3
NIU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Bennett. A throwing error by Manzer allowed a pair of runs to score and put SLU in an early hole.
Southeastern answered right back in the bottom of the first inning.
Bobbi Smith walked and Ramon followed with a single to open the frame. Both scored when Bennett lined a two-run single up the middle to knot the score at 2-2.
Northern Illinois took the lead for good in the top of the second inning. Anne Allen's run-scoring single put the Huskies up, 3-2.
The Lady Lions had a chance to reclaim the advantage in the bottom of the third inning. Ramon and Bennett singled around a Manzer walk to load the bases with one out. However, Mackenzie Bryan struck out
Karlee Kraft and
Ali McCoy to keep the Huskies on top, 3-2.
Wright kept SLU in it until she threw her one bad pitch of the contest in the top of the fifth inning. Battling to get out of a bases loaded jam, Wright gave up a two-out grand slam to Dominique Greeno that stretched the Huskies' lead to 7-2.
Southeastern looked set to get back into the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. A Manzer walk and a single by
Madisen Blackford put runners at the corners with two outs. In her first collegiate at-bat,
Pryscilla Prince lined a single through the left side to plate Manzer and chase Carley Goetschius (1-0) from the game.
Doucet followed with an infield single to load the bases, but NIU reliever Alex Frenz struck out Watson to keep NIU up, 7-3.
Southeastern would threaten again in each of the final two innings. Smith and Skains both singled to put a pair of runners on with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. However, Frenz struck out Manzer and forced
Emily Henderson to ground out to end the threat.
Blackford and Prince reached on consecutive errors to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning. However, Frenz retired Doucet,
Cameron Beal and Smith to secure the victory.
2019 Lion Classic I – February 8-10, 2019 – North Oak Park (Hammond, La.)
Tournament Standings
San Jose State – 2-0
Nicholls – 1-0
Southeastern – 1-1
Northern Illinois – 1-1
Mississippi Valley State – 0-1
Southern Illinois – 0-2
Friday, February 8
Field One
Nicholls 9, Southern Illinois 0 (5 Innings)
Southeastern Louisiana 4, Southern Illinois 3
Northern Illinois 7, Southeastern Louisiana 3
Field Three
San Jose State 3, Northern Illinois 2
San Jose State 4, Mississippi Valley State 0
Saturday, February 9
Field One
11 a.m. – Northern Illinois vs.
Mississippi Valley State
1 p.m. –
Southeastern Louisiana vs. Northern Illinois
3:30 p.m. –
Southeastern Louisiana vs. Mississippi Valley State
5:30 p.m. – Nicholls vs.
San Jose State
Field Three
1 p.m. – Nicholls vs.
Southern Illinois
3:30 p.m. – San Jose State vs.
Southern Illinois
Sunday, February 10
Field One
10 a.m. –
Nicholls vs. San Jose State
12 p.m. –
Southeastern Louisiana vs. Mississippi Valley State
Field Three
10 a.m. – Southern Illinois vs.
Mississippi Valley State
12 p.m. – Nicholls vs.
Northern Illinois
Home teams in
bold
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events (softball, baseball, football and basketball), effective with the start of the 2018 football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit
www.LionSports.net/clear.
HOME RUN CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the softball program are encouraged to join the Home Run Club. Lady Lion softball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
All membership fees and donations to both the Home Run Club and S Club (softball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern softball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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