The seniors of the Lady Lions (left to right) Taylor Bishop, Amanda Livaudias,
Amber Sather, Madison Vige’, Katie Lacour and Sydney McCullough
played their final home games of the season and of their college
careers last weekend. The seniors were honored before the start
of the doubleheader and given their framed jerseys and a standing ovation
by the fans.
The Lion's Roar / Jonathan Rhodes
Third baseman Amber Sather in her final two home game of her career had
one hit after three at bats in the first game. Sather
has 131 walks and 140 RBI’s in her Lady Lion career.
She is six RBI’s away from having the all-time school record.
The Lion's Roar / Jonathan Rhodes
The Lady Lions (22-30, 5-19 SLC) lost their series against Nicholls State this past weekend in a sweep. This was the Lady Lions’ last home game of the season and their last chance to make a push for the sixth seed in the Southland Conference Tournament.
“Even though the season has been tough down the stretch, I don’t think we have given up,” said Head Softball Coach Rick Fremin. “We are still competing. We are just limited offensively with timely hitting and defensively; in this game we had three errors. Nicholls is a team that is at the top of the conference and you can’t do those type of things: not having the timely hitting stringing hits together and playing poor defensively because they are going to take advantage of it which is what they did.”
The first game of the series was played on Friday at North Oak Park where the Lady Lions lost 1-2. The second and third games of a doubleheader on Saturday were delayed for six hours and 35 minutes due to a thunderstorm. The game resumed at 7 p.m.
It started without either team scoring until the top of the fourth inning where a bunt single scored the first run, but a Lady Lions error helped Nicholls score three more runs to make the score 0-4.
Nicholls would extend their lead in the sixth and seventh inning, making the score 0-6. Sophomore infielder Brittney Wingate helped prevent the shutout as she hit a groundout that helped Sophomore outfielder Kinsey Nichols to get home and make the final score 1-6.
The second game started 45 minutes later and the Lady Lions continued to make errors. Two more errors were made which helped Nicholls to take a 0-3 lead in the top of the first inning. The Lady Lions answered right in the bottom of the first after a leadoff walk by senior outfielder and midfielder Katie Lacour. Lacour was able to move to second base after a single by Nichols. Following her was senior first baseman Amber Sather who got to walk to first base before she was taken out and replaced by pinched runner and outfielder Peyton Sutton. With Wingate at bat, Lacour was able to get to home making it her 45th run of the season, one run away from breaking her own single-season record. Next, Sutton got to first by sliding into home to tie the game at 3-3.
Nicholls took the lead for good in the top of the second making the score 4-3. Nicholls added more runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to make the final score 3-7.
Wingate was the only Lady Lion to record an RBI in the doubleheader. Nichols and Sutton both scored runs in the second game.
This loss effectively ends the Lady Lions’ chances of making the Southland Conference Tournament this season.
“I think with us not taking this series mathematically, we are probably out now,” said Coach Fremin. “We would have had to win two of these games and basically win the series next week at Northwestern. What we are doing is laying a foundation for the future of the program at this point, just try to compete and represent the university.”
This game was the last home game for seniors Lacour, Sather, pitcher Taylor Bishop, outfielder Amanda Livaudais, pitcher Madison Vige’, outfielder Sydney McCullough and student assistant athletic trainer Sarah Fryoux.
“It’s definitely bittersweet, but I knew the day would come so I had been preparing myself all season for it,” said Livaudais. “I’ll miss playing on that field. It’s been my home for the past four years, so who wouldn’t miss it?”
The seniors reflected on the memories that they have had on the field during their Lady Lion careers.
“After playing my last game on our home turf, I feel like I have left it all out there and a part of me will always be on that field,” said Lacour. “It is something I will always carry with me and I’m lucky to have gotten a chance to continue my softball career at Southeastern four years ago. This place has given me so many memories and I’ve achieved so many great things with the help of my coaches and teammates on that field. I have enjoyed the new atmosphere that Coach Fremin has brought to the softball program. He will definitely change the face of Southeastern softball, and I was very fortunate to be under his direction for my final season.”
The seniors will now have to be ready to start the next chapter in their lives after graduation. Most seniors look to continue to be involved in softball.
“After the season ends, I plan on graduating that next weekend and then moving back home to Texas,” said Bishop. “Aside from finding a job, I think I might try to coach a team in the softball league that I played in when I was younger.”
The Lady Lions’ last three games of the season will be at Northwestern with a doubleheader on Friday and the final game Saturday. To find out more information, visit lionsports.net.