Box Score



HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana junior pitcher Kenna Terry scattered three hits and did not allow an earned run in a complete-game effort to lead the Lady Lion softball team to a 4-1 win over UTSA in the Southland Conference series opener Friday night at North Oak Park.
 
Southeastern (9-28, 2-9 Southland) took advantage of two errors by UTSA (16-21, 6-5 Southland) in the bottom of the sixth inning to plate three runs and break a 1-1 tie. Junior outfielder Michelle Duhe was 3-for-4 at the plate for the Lady Lions. Duhe, senior outfielder Katie Matthews, junior designated player Katie Doyle and senior third baseman Trish Bliss all drove in runs for the Lady Lions. Sophomore shortstop Kayla Elswick scored two runs for the Lady Lions.
 
“Kenna's record doesn't indicate it, but she's pitched well enough for us to win in a lot of games this season and tonight was no exception,” Southeastern Louisiana head coach Pete Langlois said. “We did a nice job of putting pressure on them in our last at-bat and that, along with Kenna's performance in the circle, was the difference tonight.”
 
Terry (3-12) put together perhaps her most efficient outing of the season against a UTSA team that came in with a .301 team batting average. The Baytown, Texas native needed just 82 pitches to earn the complete game win.
 
Southeastern jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning off UTSA junior starter Haylee Staton. Elswick reached on a one-out fielder's choice to give the Lady Lions a runner at first with two outs. Elswick would come home one batter later, as Matthews drilled an opposite field double over the head of UTSA senior right fielder Alaina Byars to give Southeastern the early advantage.
 
UTSA was able to take advantage of a Southeastern fielding mistake to knot the score in the top of the fourth inning. Senior second baseman Ashley Kappler led off the frame with a single, then sophomore catcher Molly Fichtner laid down a bunt that Bliss cleanly fielded at third. Bliss' throw to first was wide of the bag putting runners at the corners with no outs.
 
Matthews made a diving grab in right field on a liner by freshman catcher Megan Low, which allowed Kappler to walk in with the tying run. Terry kept the score tied by retiring senior first baseman Caitlyn Ivy and senior third baseman Nikki Goff to end the inning.
 
UTSA junior pitcher Alyssa Vordenbaum (3-8) came in for Staton in the third and held the Lady Lions at bay until the sixth. Sophomore second baseman Megan McCollum led off the inning with an infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior catcher Meghan Gomez.
 
Junior first baseman Ariell Van Hook then hit a comebacker to the mound that Vordenbaum misplayed, putting runners at the corners with one out. Doyle then hit a chopper to second that Kappler booted, allowing McCollum to score the go-ahead run and chasing Vordenbaum from the game.
 
Senior Morgan Luksa came in to pitch for UTSA and hit Elswick with the first pitch to load the bases. After retiring Matthews, Luksa gave up an infield single to Bliss to allow another run to score. Duhe capped the inning's scoring with a sharp single through the right side to give the Lady Lions a 4-1 lead.
 
The lead was plenty for Terry. Elswick robbed Goff of a hit for the inning's first out, then Terry forced freshman centerfielder Courtney Buchman and Staton to fly out to center to secure the victory.
 
Southeastern will go for the sweep on Saturday at 12 p.m. Live stats for the game will be available at www.LionSports.net and fans can follow the action via Twitter at www.twitter.com/sluathletics.