In the Southland season series, the Lady Lions defeated the No. 1 SLC-ranked McNeese Cowgirls 2-1. The Green and Gold made Southeastern history by winning a school record 41 wins, breaking last year’s mark of 40. 

SLU maintains its No. 2 seed in the SLC with a record of 16-5 and moves to 14-4 at home. 

Southeastern started the series with a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 25. They won the first game 4-1 after SLU scored three runs in the first inning. 

Junior centerfielder Cam Goodman stepped up to bat and walked to first base. Freshman third baseman Maria Detillier reached on a fielding error by McNeese’s pitcher to advance to first base; Goodman ran and stole second. 

Senior second baseman Madison Rayner bunted,  allowing Goodman to advance to third base and Detillier to steal second.

Junior catcher Bailey Krolczyk hit a single up the middle field while Goodman and Detillier ran home for scores to make it 2-0 at the bottom of the first inning. 

Sophomore shortstop Maddie Watson reached via a fielding error by MSU’s center fielder and advanced to second base, while Krolczyk stole third. Junior left fielder Ka’Lyn Watson stepped up to bat but was hit by a pitch. Krolczyk ran home to give SLU a 3-0 advantage in the ball game. 

Southeastern went scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning, when freshman pinch runner McKayla Ferguson scored after junior pinch hitter Blaire Bizette hit a single to left field.  

The second game saw a much closer battle between the top two seeds; however, the Lady Lions prevailed in a 4-3 victory. 

After a scoreless first inning, SLU struck gold in the bottom of the second. M. Watson stepped to the plate and hit a homer to the left side of the field. The Cowgirls retaliated with two runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 2-1 advantage.  

At the bottom of the fifth inning, K. Watson hit a double to the right side of the field, then right fielder Colleen Kulivan hit a single and advanced to second on the throw while K. Watson was held up at third. K. Watson scored after Detillier grounded out to tie the game at 2. 

At the bottom of the sixth, the Green and Gold scored back-to-back runs after K. Watson homered to the left side of the field, leading to runs for Ferguson and herself.

SLU took a 4-2 advantage entering the seventh inning. MSU could only muster up one run in the final inning as Southeastern took a 2-0 series lead. 

In the third and final game on Wednesday, April 26, the Lady Lions lost 2-1. MSU scored two runs in the third inning to give themselves a 2-0 lead. Southeastern cut into the lead after a home run hit by junior first baseman Lexi Johnson. 

The Green and Gold could not make a comeback to complete the sweep; however, they still won the overall series two games to one.

SLU will travel to Natchitoches for a series against the Northwestern State Lady Demons. The series will open with a doubleheader on Friday, May 5 and conclude on Saturday, May 6.  

These games will conclude their regular season before the Southland Conference Softball Tournament starts on Tuesday, May 9 in Lake Charles. 

Stay tuned to The Lion’s Roar Newsletter for more information and coverage on Lady Lions Softball.