HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana softball team battled to a doubleheader split with Southland Conference foe Lamar in league softball action Friday evening at North Oak Park.
 
Southeastern (23-17, 11-6 Southland) opened the day with a 10-2 victory in the opener. Lamar (20-23, 11-6 Southland) rallied with a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.
 
In the opener, Ali McCoy led a 13-hit attack with a 3-for-4 showing. Jaquelyn Ramon, Rebecca Skains and Ella Manzer each had two hits, while Briahna Bennett came off the bench with a pinch-hit grand slam. Alley McDonald (9-5) scattered three hits in five innings of work to earn the win in the circle for SLU.
 
Lamar held off a late charge by the Lady Lions to salvage a split in the nightcap, as Karlee Kraft, Madisen Blackford and Bobbi Smith each had two hits apiece in the loss for Southeastern.
 
The rubber game is set for Saturday. Live video (LionVision subscription required – no audio) and stats for Saturday's noon contest will be accessible at www.LionSports.net. The contest will be part of Super Lion Saturday.
 
North Oak Park will be one of Saturday's "Pass-Sport" stops. Tangi Tourism will provide "Pass-Sport" cards for the day's activities. Fans can get their cards stamped at the 10:45 a.m. tailgate party, the 11 a.m. football spring game, the 12 p.m. softball game and the 1 p.m. baseball game. Any fan with at least two stamps on their card will be entered into a drawing to win a movie prize pack valued over $100 courtesy of Tangi Tourism. The drawing will be held and the winner announced at that day's SLU-NSU baseball game.
 
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.
 
Game One – Southeastern Louisiana 10, Lamar 2 (6 Innings)
McDonald and Lamar starter Aaliyah Ruiz (3-3) matched scoreless innings until SLU broke through in the bottom of the third inning. Madisen Blackford reached on an error and later scored on an RBI single by Ramon. Mima Doucet reached after being hit by a Ruiz pitch, then scored on an RBI single by Skains. Skains would later score on a Cardinal error to give SLU a 3-0 lead.
 
Lamar answered with two runs in the fourth inning. Savana Guidry singled and scored on a two-out triple to right field by Kimberly Mattox. Kelly Meeuwsen followed with a sharp single up the middle to trim the Lady Lion advantage to 3-2.
 
Southeastern broke open the game by sending 10 to the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning. Doucet singled, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Ella Manzer. After Kraft walked and McCoy beat out an infield single to load the bases, Bennett came in off the bench and blasted the first pitch she saw over the left field fence to give SLU a six-run cushion.
 
Another run would come in on a throwing error to put SLU ahead, 6-2. A bases-loaded RBI single by McCoy in the bottom of the sixth clinched the mercy-rule victory.
 
Game Two – Lamar 6, Southeastern Louisiana 5
The Cardinals jumped on top versus SLU starter Tanner Wright (5-5) in the top of the first inning. A sacrifice fly by Shaina Amir and an RBI double by Jade Lewis staked Lamar to a 2-0 lead.
 
Southeastern got on the board versus LU starter Erin Kyle (8-4) in the bottom of the third inning. Madisen Blackford led off the frame with a triple into the right centerfield gap, then scored on an RBI single by Smith to cut the lead in half.
 
Lamar answered right back in the top of the fourth inning. A two-run double off the centerfield fence by Maddy Myers pushed LU ahead, 4-1.
 
Ella Manzer hit a one-out double in the SLU fourth and was replaced on the base paths by Cameron Beal. Beal would later score on a Lamar throwing error to cut the Cardinals' lead to 4-2. Madisen Blackford led off the bottom of the fifth with a double and beat the throw home on a Doucet grounder to put Southeastern within one.
 
Lamar took advantage of two Lady Lion errors to score a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh and take a 6-3 lead. The runs would be crucial as SLU mounted a rally in its final trip to the plate.
 
Madisen Blackford drew a one-out walk, then Smith roped a single to centerfield. LU centerfielder Shannon Klaus misplayed Smith's hit and the ball rolled all the way to the fence, allowing Blackford and Smith to both score and cut the lead to 6-5.
 
Doucet reached on an error, Hannah Blackford walked and Skains reached on an error to load the bases with one out. Kyle recovered to strike out Ella Manzer, then Kraft hit a hot shot right at Meeuwsen for the game's final out.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.