LAKE CHARLES, La. –  For the second straight night, second Southeastern was interrupted mid-game by lengthy weather delays, and for the second straight night, the Lady Lions responded. SLU rushed out to an early lead on the way to a 13-1 win in five innings over sixth seed Northwestern State on Wednesday night.
 
The win moves Southeastern to 46-12 on the season and a winners’ bracket semifinal matchup with top seed McNeese, now scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Northwestern State falls to 25-26 overall and takes on fourth seed Lamar in an elimination game at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
 
The Lady Lions pounded out 10 hits in the first three innings, with extra base hits providing a lot of the pop in the run column. First baseman Lexi Johnson went 2-for-3 in the abbreviated game with four RBIs and two runs scored, included a bases-clearing triple in the third inning.
 
Johnson started the scoring in the first with an RBI single. After a runner scored on a passed ball, SLU had a 4-0 lead to end the first inning thanks to a two-run homer by Audrey Greely.
 
In the second inning, Maria Detillier had a two run single and SLC Player of the Year Bailey Krolczyk and Maddie Watson notched RBI singles to push the lead to 8-0.
 
Northwestern State brought a run back in the top of the third on a Taylor Williams RBI single, but the Lady Lions put the game out of reach in the bottom of the frame. Detillier plated the first run with a sacrifice fly, followed by Johnson’s three-run triple off the top of the wall. Watson brought home the final run with a double.
 
For Southeastern, pitcher KK Ladner allowed one run on two hits in 5.0 innings with six strikeouts to pick up her 15^th win of the year. Johnson and Watson were the only SLU players with multi-hit games in a balanced offensive performance.
 
For Northwestern State, Williams and Keely Dubois earned the Lady Demons’ only hits. Four pitchers tried to stem the Southeastern attack, with Kenzie Seely tagged with the loss.