LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Southeastern Louisiana University softball team continued its unbeaten start to the 2022 season Friday, opening play at the Troy Cox Invitational with victories over Nebraska and Northern Colorado at the NM State Softball Complex.
SLU (5-0) opened the day with a 7-6 victory over Northern Colorado (1-5). In the second game of the day, Southeastern claimed a 2-0 shutout win over Nebraska (3-4) to remain unbeaten on the season. The win over the Cornhuskers marked the third straight season in which the Lady Lions have defeated a Power 5 opponent.
In the opener, SLU rallied from a 5-2 deficit to take down the Bears.
Lexi Johnson tied the game with a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, then
Madison Rayner hit the eventual game-winning two-run home run in the Southeastern sixth.
Mary-Cathryn (MC) Comeaux (2-0) hurled the final 1.1 innings to earn the win in the circle.
Johnson provided all the offense Southeastern would need in the shutout win over Nebraska, hitting a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning.
Heather Zumo (3-0) scattered six hits and recorded six strikeouts in six shutout innings of work to earn the win for SLU, while Comeaux recorded the game's final three outs to earn her first save of the season.
As tournament participant Iowa State was not able to make the trip to Las Cruces due to travel issues, the remainder of the tournament schedule has been altered. Southeastern will face UT Arlington (10 a.m.) and Northern Colorado (5:30 p.m.) Saturday, before closing the tournament with a 10 a.m. contest Sunday versus Nebraska.
Game One – Southeastern 7, Northern Colorado 6
Southeastern struck first in the bottom of the second inning to break a scoreless tie. A one-out double by
Bailey Krolczyk was followed by an RBI single by
Maddie Watson to put SLU on the board. Watson would pad the lead later in the frame, scoring on an RBI single by
Aeriyl Mass to put the Lady Lions up, 2-0.
Ellie DuBois made her first collegiate start in the circle for the Lady Lions and held the Bears scoreless until the top of the third inning. Jaycie Gandert singled home a run to cut the lead in half.
Sloppy defense allowed Northern Colorado to take its first lead. A passed ball led to a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, then the Bears took advantage of two SLU errors in the fifth to extend their lead to 5-2.
Southeastern answered in the bottom of the fifth inning. Rayner led off the inning with a double and
Madisen Blackford drew a walk to put a pair of runners on with no outs. Johnson followed with a three-run shot over the left centerfield fence to knot the game up at 5-5.
Northern Colorado put a pair of runners on with two outs against SLU reliever
Alyssa Romano in its half of the sixth, but Comeaux came in and recorded the final out to keep the score deadlocked.
The Lady Lions took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth. Mass led off the inning with a single to put the go-ahead run aboard. One out later, Rayner powered a 1-1 pitch over the centerfield fence to clear the bases. The Stringer, Mississippi native's second home run of her debut season in Hammond staked Southeastern to a 7-5 lead.
Northern Colorado would not go away quietly, as Riley Plogger hit a one-out solo home run to cut the lead in half. Comeaux would recover to record the final two outs and close out the win.
Game Two – Southeastern 2, Nebraska 0
Zumo and Nebraska starter Olivia Ferrell matched zeroes until Southeastern took the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Blackford led off the frame with a single, then Johnson drilled a two-run home run over the centerfield fence to put SLU ahead, 2-0. Through five games, the Reserve, Louisiana native now has four home runs on the season – more than any Lady Lion over the entirety of the 2021 season.
Zumo cruised through the first three innings, but had to pitch out of trouble for the rest of her outing. The Lady Lion ace from Baton Rouge, Louisiana stranded five Cornhuskers over the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to maintain the Southeastern advantage.
A leadoff single by Courtney Wallace in the top of the seventh chased Zumo from the game. Comeaux came in and struck out Billie Andrews and Brooke Andrews, then forced Sydney Gray to ground out to close out the victory.
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.
