SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Southeastern Louisiana set new school records for runs in a game and runs in a doubleheader on Friday, sweeping a Southland Conference softball twin bill from host Incarnate Word at H-E-B Field.
Southeastern (21-15, 9-5 Southland) snapped a season-long four-game losing streak in convincing fashion, scoring 36 runs and collecting 35 hits in Friday's two wins. SLU opened the day with a 15-3 victory over UIW (4-26, 2-9 Southland), before outlasting the hosts, 21-15, in the nightcap – the highest scoring game in the history of the SLU program.
The 21 runs scored in the nightcap set a new SLU standard, besting the previous mark of 20 set in a 20-3 win at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on April 8, 2015. The 36 runs scored by the Lady Lions in the doubleheader topped the previous mark of 33 Southeastern scored in a doubleheader sweep last season at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
To hang on in the nightcap, Southeastern had to overcome the most runs its allowed since a 15-7 loss at Central Arkansas on March 29, 2014. The 36 combined runs in the nightcap easily set a new school mark for most combined runs scored, as the previous mark were the 28 scored in a 16-12 loss at Jackson State on March 29, 2006.
Southeastern had production up and down the lineup, but it was
Rebecca Skains (7-for-9, 6 RBI) and
Madisen Blackford (6-for-7, 8 RBI) highlighted the Lady Lion slugfest. Skains tied a single-game school record with five hits in the nightcap, while Blackford's three doubles in the opener also matched a school mark.
SLU stole 11 bases on the day to run its nation-leading total to 165.
Jaquelyn Ramon to run her total to 51 for the year. She now has 172 steals during her Lady Lion tenure, moving her into a tie for 11
th with Georgia's Cortni Emanuel (2015-18) on the all-time Division I leaderboard.
Southeastern will look to complete the series sweep on Saturday at noon. Live video and stats, provided by the hosts, will be accessible on the softball schedule page at
www.LionSports.net.
Game One – Southeastern Louisiana 15, UIW 3 (6 Innings)
Southeastern jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Ramon walked, stole second, advanced to third on a sac bunt by
Mima Doucet and scored on a sacrifice fly by
Rebecca Skains.
UIW tied the game against SLU starter
Alley McDonald (7-4) in the bottom of the second inning. An RBI double by Angel Villanueva knotted the score for the Cardinals.
The game would remain tied until the top of the fifth inning. Blackford doubled, stole third and scored when
Bobbi Smith got caught in a run down. Consecutive singles by Ramon, Doucet, Skains and
Ella Manzer resulted in three more runs and a 5-1 SLU lead.
After UIW got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, SLU broke open the game open with a 10-run sixth. Blackford, Ramon, Doucet, Skains,
Ali McCoy,
Caroline Manzer and
Pryscilla Prince all drove in runs as Southeastern sent 14 to the plate in the frame and took a 15-2 advantage.
UIW scored in the sixth inning off McDonald, but that was as close as it would get as SLU secured the mercy-rule victory.
Game Two – Southeastern Louisiana 21, UIW 15
Walks by Ramon and Doucet, followed by a single by Skains loaded the bases for SLU in the top of the first with no outs.
Ella Manzer singled home Ramon and Doucet, then Skains scored on an RBI groundout by
Madison Watson. Later in the frame, McCoy,
Caroline Manzer and Smith all singled home runs to give the Lady Lions a commanding 6-0 lead.
UIW touched up SLU starter
Tanner Wright for a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning, but the Lady Lions answered with another big inning in the second. An RBI double by
Caroline Manzer scored her older sister, Ella, then a three-run home run by Blackford gave Southeastern a 10-2 advantage.
The Cardinals answered quickly in the bottom of the second inning. A grand slam by Hope Sobolew highlighted a six-run frame, as UIW cut the lead to 10-8.
After a scoreless third, SLU stretched its lead in the top of the fourth inning. Blackford doubled home the first two runs of the inning, then Smith, Doucet and Skains drove in runs as well to put SLU up, 15-8.
UIW just would not go away. Sobolew's second grand slam of the game helped the Cardinals pull within, 15-13, after four innings.
Watson doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by
Caroline Manzer in the top of the fifth inning. In the sixth, Skains singled and scored on an error, then Watson singled home
Ella Manzer to put SLU ahead, 18-13.
UIW scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to trim the lead to three. Blackford scored when Doucet reached on a fielder's choice, then a two-run single by Skains gave Southeastern a 21-15 lead and set a new single-game scoring record.
Karlee Kraft tossed a scoreless seventh inning to close out the wild win.
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.
