by 
MONROE, La. – Southeastern Louisiana senior Mahalia Gibson was 4-for-4 with two home runs and double to pace a 12-hit Lady Lions attack, as SLU rolled past ULM in non-conference softball action Tuesday evening at the ULM Softball Complex.
SLU improved to 23-15 overall with the road victory. The host Warhawks dropped to 21-15 in 2018.
Gibson led the way offensively for SLU with her second multi-home run game of the season, as the Hattiesburg, Mississippi native ran her team-high home run season total to nine. Freshman Madisen Blackford was 3-for-3 at the plate, while senior Maddie Edmonston hit her second home run of the season for SLU.
Senior Lacey Hill (9-4) scattered six hits in five innings of work to earn the victory for Southeastern. Sophomore Tanner Wrighttossed scoreless innings of relief to secure the win.
“The team responded to my challenge and played like champions today,” Southeastern head coach Rick Fremin said. “We played well in every facet of the game and we were very pleased with today’s effort. We have more tough games coming up and we want to carry this momentum into the rest of the week.”
Gibson gave SLU the early lead versus ULM senior Paige Murray (11-5) in the top of the first inning. She hit the first pitch she saw over the centerfield fence to stake the Lady Lions to a 1-0 lead.
The first two Warhawks reached in the bottom of the first inning versus Hill, but Hill induced an inning-ending double play to get out of the jam.
SLU added to its lead in the top of the second inning. Blackford legged out a leadoff double and scored one out later on an RBI single by freshman Ella Manzer to give Southeastern a 2-0 lead.
The Lady Lions added further to their lead in the top of the fourth inning. Senior Kinsey Nichols singled in the inning’s first run, then Edmonston cleared the bases with a three-run home run to put Southeastern up, 6-0.
ULM got on the board in its half of the fourth inning, as back-to-back RBI doubles by sophomore Ana Hogan and junior Brie Wrobel pulled the Warhawks to within, 6-2.
SLU got a run right back in the top of the fifth inning. Gibson lined the first pitch of the frame over the left field fence to increase the Southeastern advantage to 7-2.
The Warhawks mounted a threat in the bottom of the sixth inning, loading the bases with no outs. Wright put out the fire, forcing Wrobel to pop out and junior Megan Shaw to hit into an inning-ending double play to keep the Lady Lion lead at 7-2.
Southeastern added its final run in the top of the seventh inning. Gibson narrowly missed her school-record tying third home run of the game, doubling off the top of the centerfield fence. Junior Rebecca Skains laced a double into the left field corner to put SLU ahead, 8-2. Wright worked around a one-out error to close out the win.
