Lion Rally Extends Win Streak to Seven

Efferson shines in pitchers' duel, Southeastern rallies to top of SLC standings

Brandon Efferson allowed just one run and struck out seven in a pitchers' duel on Saturday.

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CONWAY, Ark. - Sophomore right hander Brandon Efferson allowed just one run on five hits while striking out seven in 7.1 IP and the Lion offense rallied with a run in the fifth and one more in the eighth as the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team (14-6, 6-2 Southland Conference) rallied past Central Arkansas (11-9, 4-4 SLC), extending their season-best winning streak to seven games and claiming sole posession of first place in the SLC, with a 2-1 win on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions earned their seventh consecutive win, their longest winning streak since a school record 10-game streak April 4-15, 1997, thanks in large part to a dominant outing by Efferson. The Zachary native battled UCA starter Brandon Solberg in a pitcher's duel all afternoon.

The Bears struck first with a solo home run from UCA first baseman Jonathan Yerby in the second. However, Efferson soon regained his stride. The sophomore right hander retired 11 consecutive batters in a stretch that lasted from the final out of the third inning through the first out of the seventh inning.

Efferson pitched himself out of jams in the third inning (when he pitched around a two-out triple) and again in the seventh (stranding a pair of runners after allowing a single and hitting a batter with one out).

However, Solberg proved up to the challenge for UCA as well. The junior southpaw held Southeastern scoreless through four. The Lions managed just four base runners in the first four frames and only advanced one runner to second against Solberg.

Finally, Southeastern broke through to tie things up in the top of the fifth. Senior first baseman Jordan D'Arensbourg launched a solo home run, his second of the year, with two outs in the fifth to tie things up at 1-1.

The Lions then completed the rally with another run in the eighth. With one out, sophomore center fielder Cass Hargis drilled a triple off the right center field wall. Senior second baseman Ty Summerlin followed with a sacrifice fly to short left center field. Hargis slid beneath the tag to plate the deciding run.

UCA threatened in the bottom of the eighth, putting runners at first and second with one out, prompting head coach Jay Artigues to replace Efferson with junior lefty Shawn Herring. The Lion southpaw did his job, retiring the only two batters he faced.

Junior right hander Chris Franklin moved over from third base, where he extended his hitting streak with a 1-for-3 performance, to nail down his second save in as many days. Franklin retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth for his sixth save of the season, just two saves shy of the single-season school record set by former Lion Chris Province in 2007.

The Lions will look to extend their season-best seven game winning streak when they try for a sweep of the Bears on Sunday. Southeastern will send freshman right hander Josh Janway to the mound for the 1 p.m. first pitch.

Live stats and streaming audio play-by-play will be available online at www.LionSports.net, and the game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU 90.9 FM.

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