HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana sophomore pitcher Shelby Sitzman chose the perfect time to earn her first collegiate victory.
 
Making her first career start in the circle, Sitzman (1-0) tossed a complete-game three-hit shutout to give SLU (31-19, 16-8 Southland) a 1-0 victory over McNeese (25-28, 16-8 Southland) in the Lady Lion softball team's regular season home finale Saturday at North Oak Park.
 
With the victory, Southeastern moved into a tie in the Southland Conference standings with the Cowgirls, though the Lady Lions have the tiebreaker by virtue of taking two of three from the visitors this weekend. The series wins for SLU was its first versus McNeese since 2001.
 
After the Lady Lions fell to McNeese, 4-1, in the opener of Saturday's twin bill, SLU head coach Rick Fremin turned to Sitzman, who had thrown a total of 7.2 innings this season entering Saturday's game.
 
"We thought Sitzman could do some things to keep them off-balance," Fremin said. "She threw a gem and really stepped up for us in a big moment. McNeese is a very good team and these were three highly-competitive games. This was a quality series win for us heading into the final week of the regular season."
 
Southeastern will close out the regular season with a three-game series at Nicholls. The Lady Lions-Colonels series will open with a 6 p.m. contest on Friday and closes with a noon doubleheader on Saturday in Thibodaux.
 
Game One – McNeese 4, Southeastern Louisiana 1
McNeese's Saleen Flores (5-5) and SLU starter Sophie Hannabas (6-5) matched zeroes until the Cowgirls struck first in their half of the third inning. Kaylee Lopez hit a double over the head of Bobbi Smith in left field to start the two-out rally. After a Demi Boudreaux walk, Aubree Turbeville singled home Lopez to put the Cowgirls ahead, 1-0.
 
The Lady Lions answered right back in the bottom of the third inning. Madisen Blackford drew a leadoff walk, was bunted to second by Smith, advanced to third on a Jaquelyn Ramon groundout and scored when Lindsey Rizzo hustled to beat out an infield single. Rizzo's RBI hit tied the score at 1-1.
 
The score would only be deadlocked until the Cowgirl fourth. After Alexandria Saldivar drew a walk, Toni Perrin lined a shot into the right centerfield gap. SLU centerfielder Caroline Manzer dove at the ball to try to prevent Perrin from an extra-base hit, but missed, allowing Perrin to give McNeese a 3-1 lead with a two-run inside-the-park home run.
 
Perrin doubled in an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning. Saleen Flores made the lead hold, stranding four Lady Lions over the final four innings to even the series.
 
Game Two – Southeastern Louisiana 1, McNeese 0
Sitzman and McNeese starter Alexsandra Flores (10-11) were dominant, as the two teams combined for just five hits in the pitcher's duel. Southeastern mounted the first threat, as Ella Manzer led off the bottom of the second with a double to centerfield.
 
After Mima Doucet bunted pinch runner Cameron Beal to third, Alexsandra Flores retired Madison Watson and Caroline Manzer to get out of the jam unscathed.
 
Sitzman gave up her first hit to Perrin with one out in the top of the third inning. Perrin stole second and advanced to third on a Justyce McClain ground out, but Sitzman forced Kaylee Lopez to fly out to left to leave the go-ahead run at third.
 
Southeastern took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rizzo singled and advanced to second on a groundout by Rebecca Skains. Rizzo then got caught in a rundown on an Ella Manzer grounder. Though she was eventually retired, Rizzo stayed alive long enough to allow Ella Manzer to advance to second.
 
Alexsandra Flores then uncorked a wild pitch that moved Ella Manzer to third. Doucet then hit a grounder to Haylee Brinlee. The McNeese third baseman booted the ball and her lone mistake in what was a brilliant defensive series allowed the game's first run to score.
 
Sitzman retired nine Cowgirls in a row, until McClain singled with one out in the top of the sixth inning. After Lopez flew out, McClain stole second. Demi Boudreaux then hit a shot deep in the hole at short, but Rizzo made a quick throw and beat her by a step to keep McNeese off the board.
 
McNeese mounted its best rally in the top of the seventh inning. With one out, Sitzman hit Tayler Strother to put the tying run aboard. Two pitches later, Cori McCrary ripped a double off the top of the left centerfield wall.
 
Rizzo took the relay throw from the outfield and threw a perfect strike home and Brennan Bourgeois tagged out Strother trying to score the tying run. Sitzman then forced pinch hitter Alayis Seneca to ground out to Skains to close out the win.
 
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT TICKETS
Tickets are on sale for the Southland Conference Softball Tournament, which will be played May 7-10 at Northwestern State's Lady Demon Diamond. Available options include an all-tournament pass ($20 for adults, $10 kids) and single-game tickets ($10 adults, $5 kids). With valid ID, students from Southland institutions will receive free admission. Tickets can be purchased at nsudemons.com. Click "packages" for all-tournament passes. In addition, fans can call the ticket office at 318-357-4268 or buy tickets at the gate via cash or card.
 
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.