NATCHITOCHES, La. – Madisen Blackford scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give SLU a 7-6 walk-off victory over Central Arkansas in the Southland Conference Tournament opener Tuesday at Lady Demon Field on the Northwestern State campus.
The fifth-seeded Lady Lions (33-21) advanced to the double-elimination portion of the tournament, facing No. 4 seed Stephen F. Austin in Tuesday's third game of the day. Central Arkansas ended the season with 26-28 overall.
Blackford, who was named first team All-Southland Conference earlier on Tuesday, led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single and was bunted to second by
Bobbi Smith.
Jaquelyn Ramon then laid a bunt down the third base line. UCA's Morgan Felts' throw to first was off line, allowing Blackford to score the game-winning run.
Ramon,
Lindsey Rizzo,
Caroline Manzer and
Bobbi Smith had two hits apiece for the Lady Lions, while
Rebecca Skains hit her third home run of the season.
Sophie Hannabas (7-6) took the win in the circle for Southeastern, holding the Bears to four hits in 4.2 innings of relief.
Central Arkansas mounted a threat in the top of the first inning, as a single by Kaylyn Shepherd and a Libby Morris walk put a pair on with one out. Cylla Hill then launched a shot to deep left that looked destined for extra bases, but Smith made a great catch at the fence for the second out.
Alley McDonald then forced Tylar Vernon to pop out to end the frame.
SLU took the early lead versus Kamryn Coleman in the bottom of the first. Ramon led off the game with an infield single, stole second - her conference single-season school record 59
th of the season, moved to third on a single by Rizzo and scored on a sacrifice fly by
Mima Doucet to put SLU up, 1-0.
Ramon's run was her 49
th and tied the single-season record set by
Maddie Edmonston last season. It was also her 149
th of her career, besting the previous SLU career mark held by former teammate and current assistant coach
Katie Lacour.
The Lady Lions had a chance to pad the lead in the bottom of the second inning, loading the bases with one out. However, Coleman retired Rizzo and Skains to keep SLU off the board.
McDonald and Coleman matched zeroes until the Bears got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. UCA loaded the bases with one out and Reagan Sperling lined a two-run single into left centerfield to chase McDonald from the game. Hannabas then retired Kayla Crutchmer and Kaylyn Shepherd to keep the deficit at 2-1.
SLU roared back in its half of the fourth inning.
Caroline Manzer led off the frame with a base hit to right and eventually scored on an RBI single by Smith. Smith stole second, advanced to third on a Ramon single and scored on a Rizzo groundout to give SLU the lead.
Skains then followed with a two-run home run over the right centerfield fence to put Southeastern on top, 5-2. Ramon scored her single-season school record 50
th run of the year on Skains' big fly after becoming the 13
th player in Division I history with 60 stolen bases in a season.
UCA put the first two on in the top of the fifth inning, but Hannabas retired three straight Bears to keep the SLU lead at 5-2.
Central Arkansas would not go away, however, answering with a big inning in the top of the sixth. The Bears put the first five runners on base in a three-run frame, tying the score at 5-5.
SLU retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ramon walked, stole second and scored when Rizzo flared a single into center to put the Lady Lions on top, 6-5.
The Bears tied it up in their last chance in the seventh inning. Oakley Sisemore singled, then Sperling followed with a single of her own.
Caroline Manzer misplayed Sperling's hit, allowing Sizemore to score the game-tying run on the error. Hannabas battled to keep the score tied, retiring Kayla Crutchmer and Kaylyn Shepherd to keep the game deadlocked at 6-6.
2019 Southland Conference Tournament – May 7-10, 2019 – Natchitoches, La.
Tuesday, May 7 (Southland Digital Network)
Game 1 – No. 5 Southeastern Louisiana 7, No. 8 Central Arkansas 6 (UCA eliminated)
Game 2 – No. 6 Northwestern State vs. No. 7 Lamar, 1:30 p.m.*
Game 3 – No. 4 Stephen F. Austin vs. Game 1 Winner, 4 p.m.
Game 4 – No. 3 McNeese vs. Game 2 Winner, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 8 (Southland Digital Network)
Game 5 – No. 1 Sam Houston State vs. Game 3 Winner, 11 a.m.
Game 6 – No. 2 Nicholls vs. Game 4 Winner, 1:30 p.m.
Game 7 – Game 4 Loser vs. Game 5 Loser, 4 p.m.
Game 8 – Game 3 Loser vs. Game 6 Loser, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 9 (Southland Digital Network)
Game 9 – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, 11 a.m.
Game 10 – Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner, 1:30 p.m.
Game 11 – Game 9 Loser vs. Game 10 Winner, 4 p.m.
Friday, May 10
Game 12 – Game 9 Winner vs. Game 11 Winner, 12 p.m. (ESPNU)
Game 13 – Rematch if Game 11 Winner also wins Game 12, TBA (ESPN3)
* - Single elimination
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.
