The Lady Lions knocked off No. 5 Oregon 4-2 on Sunday morning at the 2026 NFCA Leadoff Classic, live on MLB Network.
Southeastern closed out the tournament in Clearwater, Florida, with a lead that bloomed in the fifth inning after the Ducks led with two runs in the first.
On the mound, sophomore pitcher Hallie Burns threw 4.2 innings and held Oregon away from home plate with five strikeouts before being relieved in the bottom of the sixth.
Junior pitcher Haley Crawford was put on the mound to keep the Ducks down to only four hits throughout the game with two strikeouts.
Before the pitching change, Southeastern scored its first run in the fifth inning when its freshman pinch runner, Breezy Pantalion, scored on a single by graduate centerfielder Shenita Tucker that bounced off the pitcher’s mound.
Sophomore second baseman Shelby Morris had a phenomenal performance, which gave SLU the lead with two RBIs from a triple she hit and pushed the lead further by scoring on a wild pitch.
The Lady Lions rejoiced on the field as they started their season 4-2 overall on the road and took down the fifth-best team in the nation.
Before the weekend, Southeastern suffered a 5-3 loss to No. 13 Clemson on Thursday, in a long game that stretched into extra innings before they lost the next matchup on Friday to South Alabama, 2-0.
Nonetheless, SLU got back on track with a 9-0 win against Longwood and a nail-biting 4-3 victory over Rutgers.
Before the Lady Lions closed out the tournament, they regained their stride after they tore up Boston College 10-1 in five innings.
After the team’s success on the road, Southeastern will face off against Louisiana Tech on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 5 p.m., in its home opener at North Oak Park.
Once SLU plays its home opener, the softball team will be on an extensive traveling schedule to participate in the Mardi Gras Mambo, 2026 UCA Softball Tournament.
After the tournaments conclude, Southeastern will remain on the road to face the University of Texas and conclude the trip in March against East Texas A&M to start conference play.
The Lady Lions’ next home game after the home opener will be on Wednesday, March 11, at 5 p.m. versus Southern Miss at North Oaks Park.
You can watch most games on ESPN+ or listen to them on 90.9 The Lion.
For more, visit The Lion’s Roar for more articles and sports coverage for Southeastern.
