Bison Softball kicked off their season down south with five games at the Texan Classic. The Bison went 1-4 on the weekend.
The Bison were defeated 13-4 by the McNeese State Cowgirls in five innings. The Orange and Blue batted first and got three runs. Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Haley Speicher ’26 slammed a double to left center, followed by walks from Shea Malone ’28 and Savannah Jones ’25 to load the bases. Brooke Popella ’27 cleared the bases with a double off the right field wall. The Bison’s lead was short-lived. The Cowgirls responded with eight runs throughout the first four innings. Marissa Rapino ’26 and Skye Perez ’28 walked, and a bunt single from Speicher loaded the bases and MaKenzie Hilling’s ’25 RBI grounder drove in a run. The Bison let up five runs in the fifth inning to end the game via the mercy rule.
Later that Friday, the Bison took on Tarleton. Madison Roukey ’25 started the game by throwing two scoreless innings. In the third inning, the Texans managed two runs. The Bison came close to scoring after Malone hit a single up the middle and Hilling whacked a double to left center. Brad Posner, the third base coach, sent Malone bolting home, but a controversial call from the umpire ruled her out at the plate, despite many thinking she beat the throw. The Orange and Blue rallied in the sixth inning, scoring their first run of the game. The inning started with two outs, followed by a Speicher single up the middle to spark momentum. Malone singled to right center, and Speicher advanced to third base. Speicher scored off a wild pitch, and Malone strolled to second base. Hilling came close to having a clutch hit but was thrown out at first. In the final inning, Sarah Zimmerman ’27 grounded out, Popella walked and triggered a pitching change, Nicole Lioumis ’26 flew out and Juliette Basso ’25 grounded out to conclude the matchup.
On day two of the Texan Classic, the Bison earned their first win of the season. The Orange and Blue lost 6-1 in their rematch against McNeese State but rebounded to collect their first win, beating Arkansas Pine Bluff 12-1 in five innings.
In their Saturday rematch, the McNeese Cowgirls came in strong, earning four runs in the first inning. Bella Radican ’25 responded in the third inning, showcasing her opposite field power by blasting her first career home run over the right field wall. McNeese added two more runs. Two singles in the sixth inning were not enough to add to the Bison’s score, and the game ended 6-1.
The Bison competed against Arkansas Pine Bluff and picked up their first win of the season. Jones started on the mound for the Bison and delivered four innings of only one run. The Orange and Blue racked up four runs in the third inning. Basso and Angelina Seropian ’26 both walked with one out. Perez recorded her first career RBI from a single. Jones aided the efforts with a two-run triple down the right-field line. Malone chipped in with a single up the middle to add the fourth run. The Bison’s offensive momentum continued with an eight-run fifth inning. Lioumis and Rapino walked to start but were followed by two fielder’s choices. Perez walked to load the bases. Jones walked and earned her third RBI. Malone singles to left field, tacking on another run; Hilling knocked in two more. Popella reached base on an error, and another run scored. Lioumis singled, loading the bases. Rapino scorched a double down the line, giving the Bison a 12-0 lead. Arkansas scored a run in the fourth inning but couldn’t manage to score any further. In the fifth inning, Roukey entered the circle with hopes to put the mercy rule into effect. Jones snagged a line drive in left field to prevent a double, and a grounder to Hilling at first base concluded the game, giving the Orange and Blue their first win of the season.
The Bison concluded the Texan Classic Sunday morning with a defeat by Marist. The Orange and Blue were up 2-1 before the Red Foxes posted seven runs in the fifth inning and tacked on four more over the next two. Roukey started in the circle for the Bison. Marist got a run early in the game from a triple and single, but Roukey walked away from the first inning only allowing one run. Another single posed more risk, but Roukey managed to get two quick outs. She worked out of two singles and a walk with a fielder’s choice. In the third inning, the Orange and Blue grabbed a 2-1 lead. Seropian singled, and Kate Dailor ’28 went in as a pinch runner and swiftly stole second base. Jones chipped in a single, and Malone sent the two runners home with a double off the left-field wall. The Bison came close to scoring again in the fourth inning but were unsuccessful. Molly Lawson ’27 hit a single and Seropian walked while two outs were accumulated; Jones hit a single up the middle, sending Lawson home, but the ball beat her to the plate. The fifth inning was costly. After the Red Foxes managed two quick singles, Roukey exited the game, and Jones took the mound. The Red Foxes scored seven runs that inning off of a couple of hits, sacrifice bunts and a Popella error which could have ended the inning but instead was followe by a triple. The Bison tried coming back, with two runs in the fifth. Hilling walked, Popella hit an RBI triple and Radican drove Popella home. The Red Foxes added another run in the sixth. Payton Hale ’28 was called to the mound for the seventh inning but was greeted with a rough welcome, the final score 12-4.
Up next, the Bison will travel to Dover on Saturday, Feb. 22 to take on a series against Delaware State.
