HAMMOND, La. – Mississippi Valley State softball opened the 2019 season at the Southeastern Louisiana Tourney playing five games in three days at North Oak Park. Senior Dejanae Gage led MVSU with six hits and a pair of runs scored during the weekend. Freshman Demi Slater recorded a team-best three RBI and homered against Southeastern Louisiana while sophomore Deshonte Smith also tallied three RBI and had two doubles. Sophomore Alyssa Montes pitched a team-high nine innings in two starts striking out three batters. Senior Alejandra Salazar led the Devilettes with five strikeouts in three pitching appearances.

GAME 1: San Jose State 4, MVSU 0
Junior Lexany Terrones singled up the middle in the third inning and Gage singled in the seventh inning for the only MVSU hits in their season opener. Montes and Salazar each pitched three innings for the Devilettes with Montes getting the start. She had one strikeout in her time of action with SJSU scoring one run in the first and third innings and then tacked on two more runs in the fifth. Salazar tossed three innings in relief for MVSU fanning three batters and allowed one earned run.

GAME 2: Northern Illinois 8, MVSU 0
MVSU was held to two hits from Le. Terrones and Smith in an 8-0 loss to Northern Illinois in their first of two games played on Saturday. Smith singled down the right-field line in the first and then in the third Terrones singled to second base registering her second hit of the season. The Huskies scored three runs in the first and third innings and added on two in the fourth inning shutting out MVSU. Freshman Daisy Page pitched the first inning and then junior Andrea Elmore went the rest of the way striking out two in four innings on the mound.

GAME 3: Southeastern Louisiana 19, MVSU 4
The Devilettes finished with 11 hits, scoring four runs against Southeastern Louisiana. Le. Terrones singled to left center and then scored MVSU's first run of the season on an RBI double to center field by Smith in the first inning. Southeastern La. answered with 16 runs on 11 hits and an error by MVSU in the bottom of the first taking a commanding lead.

MVSU came away with three hits in the second inning behind singles by freshman Jewel Unga, sophomore Kennedy Lester, and Gage. Sophomore Taylor Baez singled through the left side in the third and in the fourth inning, Slater blasted a three-run homer to left field scoring both Gage and freshman Cailyn Peterson. Peterson led the inning off with a single to second base followed by Gage's second hit of the game a single through the left side.

Gage and Unga each had a multiple-hit performance against the Lions going 2-for-2 and 2-for-3 at the plate, respectively. Slater led the Devilettes with three RBI and Smith had the only double base hit for MVSU. Freshman Mercedes Silva pitched 3.1 innings in relief walking three and holding the Lions to three earned runs.

GAME 4: Southern Illinois 15, MVSU 3
MVSU had two doubles and drew a pair of walks in their first of two games played Sunday. Gage sparked the Devilettes in the second after Southern Illinois took a 6-0 advantage after the first inning. She doubled to left center field and then scored on a throwing error. Then, junior Jamie Parmley RBI singled to right field scoring junior Kailyn Dunn who reached on a bunt. In the third, Gage had her second hit of the morning laying a single to center field. SIU added nine runs on two hits in the fourth taking a 15-2 lead and then the Devilettes scored on a fielder's choice RBI by Peterson in the fifth inning.

Salazar went three innings in relief striking out two SIU batters leading the pitching rotation. Gage went 2-for-3 with a double and scored a run.

GAME 5: Southeastern Louisiana 7, MVSU 3
In their final game of the tournament, the Devilettes took on host Southeastern Louisiana for the second time in two days. Montes made her second start on the mound and tossed a complete game striking out two, walking three and surrendered two earned runs. Smith paced the offense going 2-for-4 at the plate including a double and two RBI.

Both teams scored a run in the first inning and then the Lions took a five-run lead after the fourth inning on five hits and an error by the Devilettes. MVSU managed a pair of runs in the fifth but Southeastern La. put the game out of reach with a final run in the sixth for a 7-3 win.

In the first inning, Smith RBI singled to second base scoring Dunn who led the inning off reaching on a throwing error by the Lions. Then In the second, both Gage and Davis pounded out singles to third base, but MVSU failed to produce any runs leaving two on base after grounding out to end the inning. Southeastern La. blew the game open scoring five runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth inning as MVSU trailed 6-1.

MVSU had their strongest inning in the fifth using three hits to score two runs cutting into the Lions advantage. Smith RBI doubled to right center field scoring Le. Terrones and then two at-bats later, junior Jodeci Afoa-Tuia RBI singled to center field scoring pinch runner junior Miranda Sandavol. Despite the late runs by MVSU, Southeastern La. extended their lead with a final run in the sixth inning and picked up a 7-3 win to close out the weekend.

Up next, MVSU travels to Ruston, La. on Feb. 15-17 for the Louisiana Tech Tournament against host La Tech, Abilene Christian, Wichita State, and Southeast Missouri State.