HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana and Stephen F. Austin softball teams split a doubleheader to open Southland Conference play Friday night at North Oak Park.
 
The two teams tied for second place in last year's Southland Conference standings and traded wins in their first meetings since the 2016 campaign. Southeastern (12-10, 1-1 Southland) opened the day with a 7-1 victory, before SFA (13-10, 1-1 Southland) rallied for an 11-6 win in the nightcap.
 
In the opener, Alley McDonald (3-3) tossed 4.1 innings of shutout relief, scattering two hits and fanning four to earn the win for SLU. Mima Doucet led the Southeastern offense with a 3-for-4 showing, while Madisen Blackford hit her first career home run, scored two runs and drove in three runs.
 
In the win, Jaquelyn Ramon stole her team-high 32^nd base of the season. The Southland and SLU career record holder now has 153 stolen bases, moving her into a tie for 23^rd with Texas A&M's Sharonda McDonald (2004-07) on the all-time Division I leaderboard.
 
SFA broke a 3-3 tie with an eight-run fifth inning to bounce back in game two. Bobbi Smith stole three bases, as the Lady Lions ran their national-leading stolen base total to 104 in 22 games. Blackford and Lindsey Rizzo led SLU with two hits each, while Doucet hit her first home run as a Lady Lion.
 
The series wraps up with the 12 p.m. rubber game on Saturday at North Oak Park. Every home Saturday is Local Heroes Appreciation at North Oak Park, as all first responders, service members and military personnel will receive a discounted ticket with a valid ID. LionVision subscribers will be able to access a live video stream (no audio) of the series finale at www.LionSports.net/watch.
 
Game One – Southeastern Louisiana 7, Stephen F. Austin 1
Stephen F. Austin took a 1-0 lead off SLU starter Tanner Wright in the top of the first inning. After Alex Hedspeth led off the game with a double off the left field fence, Wright walked Margarita Corona and Brittany Crawford, then hit Madison Clements to force in a run. Wright limited the damage by retiring Lindsay Gregory to keep SLU within one.
 
The Lady Lions tied it versus Ladyjack ace Kassidy Wilbur (7-7) in the bottom of the third inning. Ramon drew a walk and eventually scored on an RBI single by Rebecca Skains to knot the score at 1-1.
 
Southeastern took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning. An error on a Ramon bunt allowed Amberlyn Alfano and Blackford to come home for a 3-1 SLU advantage.
 
The Lady Lions broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning. A throwing error allowed Anna Rodenberg to score, then Blackford powered her first collegiate home run over the left centerfield fence. The Des Moines, Iowa native's three-run shot gave Southeastern a commanding 7-1 lead.
 
McDonald retired the final 10 batters she faced. She gave way to Shelby Sitzman in the seventh, who forced Hedspeth to foul out to Brennan Bourgeois to secure the victory.
 
Game Two – Stephen F. Austin 11, Southeastern Louisiana 6
Southeastern struck first in the bottom of the second inning against Ashley Kriesel (4-3). Ella Manzer led off the frame with a single and was replaced on the base paths by Rodenberg. The speedster stole second and third, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Ali McCoy to stake SLU to a 1-0 lead.
 
SFA answered against Lady Lion starter Karlee Kraft in the top of the third inning. An error on the potential third out extended the inning, allowing Hedspeth to tie the game with an RBI single, then Triniti Kendzior drove in two more to put the Ladyjacks up, 3-1.
 
A Rizzo single, followed by walks to Manzer and Doucet loaded the bases with one out in the SLU fourth. McCoy grounded out to short to score Rizzo, but Kriesel then struck out Briahna Bennett to keep Southeastern down by one.
 
Southeastern tied it up in the bottom of the fifth inning. Smith singled, stole second and scored on a two-out single up the middle by Rizzo to knot the score at 3-3.
 
Stephen F. Austin roughed up Bennett (1-2), Caitlyn VanHemelryck, Sitzman and Kraft for eight runs in the top of the sixth inning. Stephen F. Austin sent 11 to the plate in the frame, collecting seven hits to take a huge 11-3 advantage.
 
Southeastern would make things interesting in the bottom of the sixth inning. Doucet got the frame going with a solo home run over the left field fence. McCoy walked and scored on an RBI double by Blackford, then Blackford would come home on an RBI single by Smith that cut the lead to 11-6.
 
That would be as close as Southeastern would get. Wilbur would work around a two-out Manzer walk in the bottom of the seventh to salvage the split for the Ladyjacks.
 
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
For more information on Southeastern Softball, follow @SLUlionsoftball on Twitter and Instagram, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.