JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Down to its last at-bat, the Southeastern Louisiana University softball team used a five-run seventh inning to complete an 8-5 comeback victory over Jacksonville State Thursday evening at University Field.
SLU (15-8) was down 5-1 before scoring the game's final seven runs to drop the host Gamecocks to 15-9 overall.
Audrey Greely was 3-for-3 and broke a 5-5 tie with a two-run single in the seventh to lead a 13-hit Lady Lion attack. Greely,
Aeriyl Mass and
Lexi Johnson all drove in two runs apiece, while Mass and
Cam Goodman each had two hits.
Mary-Cathryn (MC) Comeaux (5-3) earned the win in the circle for Southeastern. The Port Allen, Louisiana native tossed 4.1 innings of shutout relief, scattering two hits and fanning three.
Mass gave Southeastern the lead in the top of the first inning. She reached on an error and eventually scored on a passed ball to give SLU a 1-0 cushion.
Jacksonville State answered right back in the bottom of the first. An RBI triple by Megan Fortner knotted the score at 1-1.
The Gamecocks took the lead in their half of the third inning. Back-to-back home runs by Fortner and Karsen Mosley fueled a four-run frame that gave JSU a 5-1 advantage.
SLU cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth. Consecutive one-out singles by
Lindsey Rizzo and Greely put a pair of runners on. One out later, Mass cleared the bases with a two-run single to shrink the JSU margin to 5-3.
The score remained the same until the Lady Lions were down to their last three outs.
Madison Rayner led off the seventh by beating out an infield single. Johnson followed with her team-high fifth home run of the season to tie the score at 5-5.
Consecutive singles by
Madisen Blackford and
Maddie Watson put runners at the corners with one out. One out later, Greely singled home a pair of runs to put SLU up, 7-5. Goodman then scored Greely with a perfectly-placed RBI single to give the Lady Lions an 8-5 advantage.
Comeaux made the lead stand up, retiring the Gamecocks in order in the seventh to lock down the nonconference road win for Southeastern.
SLU will be back in action this weekend, participating in the Chatty's Patty's Tournament in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Expected inclement weather has altered the schedule with all listed game times Central. The Lady Lions will play Bucknell Friday at 2 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. SLU will face host Chattanooga Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and Sunday at noon.
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.
