NATCHITOCHES - Thanks to Kyle Ginn's extra inning heroics for the second straight game, Southeastern's baseball team continues to make a memorable performance at the 2005 BellSouth Southland Conference Baseball Tournament.
Ginn belted a home run off Chris Jean with two outs in the 10th inning and Southeastern remained unbeaten in the tournament with a 4-3 win over third-seeded Texas State Thursday afternoon at Brown-Stroud Field.
After belting a game-winning 11th inning grand slam last Friday in an 18-14 win over Louisiana-Monroe that put the Lions in the SLC Tournament for the first time since 1999, Ginn fueled a three-run 10th inning in Wednesday's 3-0 win over top-seeded Northwestern State.
Southeastern (29-29), which has allowed three runs in 20 innings in the postseason, will face fourth-seeded Texas-San Antonio, a 6-3 winner over Lamar, at 11 a.m. on Friday. Texas State, which blew a five-run lead and fell to UTSA, 8-7, on Wednesday, concluded its season at 32-26.
Ginn belted his sixth home run of the season as he ripped a 3-1 pitch from Jean over the right-center field fence for his second game-winning home run in six days.
"That's the way it's been for us all year," Ginn said of the Lions' fourth win in extra innings in seven games this season. "When we get to extra innings, we've been able to focus and get quality at-bats.
"I kind of got out of my zone early in the game and struck out a couple of times, but settled down and stopped guessing. He (Jean) kept us off-balance the entire game. He threw one hell of a ballgame."
Jean, who scattered eight hits and fanned a career-high 13 batters for Texas State, fanned Tony Suarez and Gary Duhe to lead off the 10th inning before Ginn collected his only hit of the game.
Risley St. Germain (3-5) pitched 1.1 innings in relief to earn his second straight victory for the Lions. The senior, making his inaugural appearance in the SLC Tournament, fanned Kyle Anson with a runner on second to end the ninth before retiring the side in the 10th.
"It's a good feeling to be here (the postseason) … this is my only opportunity to play in this tournament," St. Germain said. "To play good baseball and come out on top is just the best feeling.
"The guys behind me (defensively) have helped me out a lot. The confidence I have in them just helps me pitch even better. I know if I make a mistake (to a batter), they've got my back."
Southeastern took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after getting a pair of hits off Jean, who started for Texas State in a 6-4 win over the Lions April 30 in Hammond. Jason Waguespack lifted a one-out double over the head of right-fielder Jose Rodriguez and moved to third on Trent Hebert's grounder to first. Rob Territo then hit the first pitch from Jean for a bloop single to center to drive in Waguespack.
Texas State tied the game in the fourth after loading the bases on Southeastern starter Rodney Story. Three straight hits by the Bobcats loaded the bases before Heath Keel hit a one-out single to drive in Anson. But Story, who pitched 8.2 innings for the Lions, got Dawid Bednarek to pop out before Dominic Ramos flied out to center to end the inning.
Hebert led off the fifth for the Lions with a solo home to put Southeastern ahead, 2-1, before Texas State battled back and tied the game in the sixth on a one-out single by Rodriguez that scored Elliott Babcock.
The Lions regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth as Ginn slid into first on an errant throw by Ramos, moved to second on a bunt single by Steve Clevenger and third on Randy Roth's grounder. Ryan Spencer then hit a chopper to third that allowed Ginn to score and put Southeastern ahead, 3-2.
Texas State would not go away as the Bobcats tied the game in the eighth. Babcock reached on a one-out infield single and stole second. Kyle Jones then singled to right, scoring Babcock, and moved to second when the ball rolled under the glove of Suarez, putting the potential go-ahead run in scoring position.
But Story got the Lions out of the inning as he got Rodriguez to pop up to the catcher and Keel to fly out to right to end the inning.
"Rodney (Story) was just tremendous out there for us," Southeastern head coach Dan Canevari said. "He got knocked out in that 6-4 game in the rain (against Texas State) and was the victim of a 12-run inning (last Friday) against ULM.
"His courage and intestinal fortitude to go out there, pitch his game and not be affected just shows the kind of character kid that he is."
Story scattered 12 hits and struck out five while getting 13 fly ball outs in the contest. The southpaw, who was forced out of the April 30 game after a 79-minute rain delay in the fourth inning, walked one and allowed three runs before being relieved by St. Germain in the ninth.
"I wanted to stick with my game plan of getting outs and letting my defense take care of the rest," Story said. "I was kind of disappointed (in his last appearance against Texas State) that I wasn't able to come back after the rain delay. I'm glad we were able to go out and get them today."
Texas State......... 000 101 010 0 - 3 12 1 (32-26)
Southeastern La..... 010 011 000 1 - 4 8 2 (29-29)
Chris Jean and Dawid Bednarek. Rodney Story; Risley St. Germain (9) and Rob Territo. W - St. Germain (3-5). L - Jean (7-5). 2B - Ramos (9), Dresch (8), Babcock (9), Waguespack (8). HR - Hebert (6), Ginn (6). T - 2:38. A - 335.
