HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana softball team close out its 2021 regular season home schedule on Saturday with a wild 7-6 extra-inning loss to Central Arkansas at North Oak Park.
Southeastern (26-19, 13-8 Southland) trailed 6-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, but score five runs in the frame to force extra innings. Three innings later, UCA (31-17, 18-6 Southland) plated a run to close out the series sweep.
With Tuesday's scheduled doubleheader versus Jackson State canceled, Saturday's game was the final regular season home game for seniors
Anna Rodenberg,
Kelci Bodin,
Cameron Beal and
Shelby Sitzman. Rodenberg was 3-for-5 at the plate, Bodin scored a run and drove in a run and Beal collected a hit as well.
Southeastern has already clinched a spot in the Southland Conference Tournament, scheduled for May 11-14 in Hammond.
Down to their last out, the Lady Lions sent 10 batters to the plate in a five-run seventh inning.
Audrey Greely,
Cameron Goodman and
Aeriyl Mass opened the frame with consecutive singles, then
Lindsey Rizzo reached on an error to plate Greely. Goodman came home on a sacrifice fly by
Madisen Blackford.
Mass scored when
Madison Watson drew a bases loaded walk, then Rizzo scored an unearned run on a Rodenberg groundout. After
Lexi Johnson walked to load the bases, Greely hit a sharp single to left field to tie the game. Pinch runner
Kylie Chauvin tried to score from second, but was gunned out at the plate.
Heather Zumo (15-5) pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the eighth, while the Lady Lions couldn't take advantage of two Bear errors in the bottom of the frame.
After an uneventful ninth, Jenna Wildeman singled home Tylar Vernon in the top of the 10
th. It appeared Goodman had thrown out Vernon at the plate, but the umpire gave UCA the run because he ruled Blackford was interfering with the runner.
Goodman was hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom of the 10
th, but UCA ace Kayla Beaver (17-6) retired Mass and Rizzo to close out the win.
Up Next
Southeastern will close out the regular season with a three-game at Northwestern State that starts next Friday in Natchitoches.
TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit
www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern is implementing mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets for the 2020-21 season. All tickets will be available via e-mail and text message in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Softball, follow @LionUpSoftball 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 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.
