Box Score

LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University softball team endured a nearly two-hour rain delay and rode a six-run sixth inning to a 7-1 victory over HCU on the opening day of the Southland Conference Softball Championships Tuesday at Joe Miller Field at Cowgirl Diamond.
 
Southeastern (45-12) advances to face the winner of Tuesday's nightcap between No. 3 seed Nicholls and sixth-seeded Northwestern State Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. HCU (20-32) will face the loser of that contest in an elimination game Wednesday at 4 p.m. All tournament games are on ESPN+.
 
Audrey Greely and Ka'Lyn Watson led SLU at the plate, each finishing 2-for-3 with two RBI. Bailey Krolczyk broke a 1-1 tie with her team-high 17^th double and single-season school record 28^th extra-base hit of the season. Madison Rayner and Maddie Leal also drove in runs for the Lady Lions.
 
Cera Blanchard (17-6) earned the win in the circle for the Lady Lions. The Metairie, Louisiana struck out eight batters and allowed one hit in 4.2 innings of shutout relief.
 
HCU struck first in the top of the second inning. Kaicey Hagler led off the frame with a solo home run over the scoreboard in left field to stake the Huskies to the early lead.
 
HCU starter Ronni Groffman held the Lady Lions without a hit until the bottom of the fifth inning. Greely hit a solo shot off the scoreboard to knot the game at 1-1. Southeastern loaded the bases later in the frame, but HCU reliever Lyndie Swanson forced pinch hitter Blaire Bizette to line in to an inning-ending double play to keep the score deadlocked.
 
At the start of the sixth inning, heavy rain moved into the area and the game was delayed for nearly two hours.  
 
Southeastern's bats woke up after the delay. Maria Detillier and Krolczyk opened the inning with back-to-back doubles to break the tie and ignite a six-run frame. Greely executed a perfect squeeze bunt to score Krolczyk.
An RBI single by Rayner was followed by a two-run triple by Ka'Lyn Watson. Watson would score on an RBI groundout by Leal to give Southeastern a 7-1 cushion after a frame that saw SLU bat around.
 
Blanchard made it stand, shaking off a one-out walk in the seventh to retire the final two Huskies and close out the tournament-opening victory.
 
HCU – 010 000 0 – 1 3 0 (20-32)
SLU – 000 016 x – 7 8 1 (45-12)
Ronni Groffman, Lyndie Swanson (6), Katy Janes (6), Addy Prasifka (6) and Jasie Roberts. Ellie DuBois, Cera Blanchard (3) and Bailey Krolczyk, McKayla Ferguson (7). W – Blanchard (17-6). L – Swanson (9-10). HR – HCU: Kaicey Hagler (4); SLU: Audrey Greely (5). 3B – SLU: Ka'Lyn Watson (4). 2B – SLU: Maria Detillier (11), Bailey Krolczyk (17). T – 3:43. A – n/a.
 
2023 Southland Conference Softball Championship (All games on ESPN+)
 
Tuesday, May 9
Game 1 | No. 5 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 3, No. 4 Lamar 2
Game 2 | No. 2 Southeastern 7 No. 7 HCU 1
Game 3 | No. 3 Nicholls vs. No. 6 Northwestern State | 30 minutes after game 2
 
Wednesday, May 10
Game 4 | No. 1 McNeese vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | 11 a.m.
Game 5 | Southeastern vs. Game 3 Winner | 1:30 p.m.
Game 6 | HCU vs. Game 3 Loser | 4 p.m.
Game 7 | Lamar vs. Game 5 Loser | 6:30 p.m.
 
Thursday, May 11
Game 8 | Game 4 Loser vs. Game 6 Winner | 11 a.m.
Game 9 | Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner | 1:30 p.m.
Game 10 | Game 8 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner | 4 p.m.
Game 11 | Game 9 Loser vs. Game 10 Winner | 6:30 p.m.
 
Friday, May 12
Game 12 | Game 9 Winner vs. Game 11 Winner | Noon
Game 13 | Game 9 Winner vs. Game 11 Winner (Only necessary if Game 11 winner wins Game 12) | 2:30 p.m.
 
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.