The Southeastern softball team traveled to Tiger Park in Baton Rouge to compete in the Tiger Classic tournament over the weekend, going 2-3 overall.
The Lady Lions lost to both Charlotte and Central Arkansas on Friday, 5-1 and 5-2, respectively. SLU bounced back with a 10-1 run-rule victory over Charlotte on Saturday, before beating Central Arkansas 5-0 on Sunday, earning payback over the 49ers and Sugar Bears.
However, despite holding a late two-run lead over No. 10 LSU in the tournament capper, the Lady Lions fell 3-2 to the Tigers in walk-off fashion.
SLU vs. Charlotte — Friday, Feb. 7
On the first day, Southeastern had a rough start, losing against Charlotte 10-1.
Charlotte gained the early lead and rolled with it throughout the game, keeping the Lady Lions scoreless until sophomore infielder Chloe Magee stole home in the fifth inning.
This gave the Lady Lions one run, but it wasn’t enough as the 49ers won comfortably.
SLU vs. UCA — Friday, Feb. 7
For the second game that day, the Southeastern Lady Lions suffered their second loss against a former SLC opponent, the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears.
During this game, Southeastern took the early lead in the first inning when senior outfielder Shenita Tucker made her way home from a wild pitch. Behind her was Magee, who came home from a sacrifice fly, giving the Lady Lions a 2-0 lead.
This would be the only time Southeastern was ahead. At the top of the third inning, they fell behind, and the Bears got four runners home from multiple errors made by the SLU infield.
Although starting junior pitcher Macie LeRue would finish the game with five strikeouts for the Lady Lions, they would finish the game short, 5-2.
“Today we had a very rough start, but we’re going to move forward and get better as we move on,” said former SLC Coach of the Year Rick Fremin.
SLU vs Charlotte (Game Two) – Saturday, Feb. 8
The following day, the Lady Lions triumphed over the Charlotte 49ers, ending the game early in the fifth inning via run rule, 10-1.
From the first inning, SLU was dominant in the field, with starting pitcher LaRue helping lead Southeastern to keep Charlotte from getting home, earning her first win with the Lady Lions. LaRue had four strikeouts and held the 49ers to only four hits.
Five stolen bases demonstrated the Lady Lions’ aggressive play style. Junior third baseman Maria Detillier led SLU with four RBIs, alongside Tucker, who led the team with three runs.
“What changed today was our attitude, effort and determination of our program. Our team this year is majority new people and I was pleased with their execution to play fast and aggressive till they shake hands,” said Coach Fremin.
SLU vs. UCA (Game Two) — Sunday, Feb. 9
With a great win over Charlotte, the Lady Lions carried this attitude to claim victory over the Bears, 5-0.
Southeastern gained an early advantage by scoring two runs in the second inning. LaRue kept Central Arkansas pinned down, striking out seven batters and allowing only two hits, making up for Friday’s loss against Central Arkansas.
SLU vs LSU — Sunday, Feb. 9
With two impressive wins, the Lady Lions were high on pride and went on to play No. 10 LSU, coming close but ultimately falling to the Tigers 3-2.
The Lady Lions showed out in the field with Syracuse transfer pitcher Britney Lewinski, who held the Tigers scoreless for five straight innings.
SLU held a tense two-run lead over LSU through five and a half innings. However, in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Tigers scored two runs to tie the game, preventing the Lady Lions from taking the lead in their final at-bat.
During the bottom of the final inning, the Tigers had a runner on third, eager to come home.
With a sacrifice fly hit into deep center field from Tori Edwards, Hodges was sent home to end the game in a Tigers victory.
“Our team played their hearts out. We told them they needed to play like warriors and start to develop that mindset. We have a lot of new players put in this type of environment, and it’s good for them to get used to it, but LSU has been let off the hook many times in my career coaching here. That wears on me as a coach, but I’m very proud of the team,” said Coach Fremin.
Southeastern will next take the field to host the Lion Classic at North Oak Park, starting tomorrow when the Lady Lions will play against UTSA at 3:30 p.m. and Mississippi Valley State at 5:30 p.m.
SLU will face MVSU again on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. before finishing the day versus South Dakota at 3:30 p.m.
Finally, the Green and Gold will conclude the tournament on Sunday against South Dakota one more time at 10 a.m. and wrap things up vs. UTSA at noon.
All six SLU contests can be heard live at LionUpRadio.org.
Visit The Lion’s Roar for more articles and sports coverage on Southeastern Softball.
