Box Score and Play-by-Play in .html Format

HAMMOND – The Lions scored four runs in the top of the first and held the Ragin' Cajuns scoreless through six as the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team (21-14) snapped a season-long four-game losing streak and swept a season series from Louisiana-Lafayette (18-16-1) for the first time since 1985 by virtue of a 9-2 win on Wednesday night.

Southeastern, which claimed the first contest between the two in-state rivals with a 9-7 victory in Lafayette on Feb. 25, swept the 2009 season series.  The Lions had not swept a season series from the Cajuns since going 2-0 against ULL 24 years ago.

“I'm really proud of how we responded tonight,” head coach Jay Artigues said.  “Our guys stayed aggressive on the basepaths and at the plate and our pitchers did a good job adjusting and keeping them off the board.”

The Lions got off to a quick start by crossing the plate four times in the opening frame.  Southeastern sent nine men to the plate against Cajun starter Greg Wilborn.  Consecutive run-scoring singles off the bats of senior left fielder Brandon Street, sophomore catcher Josh Cryer and senior starting pitcher Brian McCants were the biggest blows as the Lions claimed a 4-0 lead after one.

Southeastern would extend its lead when McCants helped his own cause again in the second.  The senior left hander drove in his second run of the ballgame with a bases loaded fielder's choice to make it 5-0. 

After a scoreless third, the Lions added a fourth inning RBI double from Cryer to claim a 6-0 lead.

With his lineup, including himself, staking him to a commanding early lead, McCants got into a groove on the mound.  Normally Southeastern's starting right fielder, McCants shined in his second career start.

The Slidell native went a career high 7.1 innings and allowed just two runs on four hits while striking out five and walking just two.

McCants held the Cajuns hitless through four and retired eight consecutive batters from the second through the fourth.  The Pearl River High School product did not allow a run until the Cajuns put together three hits to bring home a pair of runs in the seventh to make it 6-2.

However, the Lions responded with three more runs in the bottom of the eighth to claim a seven run lead.

Senior right hander Chris Cappo and junior right hander Cole Catalano kept the Cajuns off the board the rest of the game as the Lions claimed the 9-2 win.

After snapping their longest losing streak of the season, the Lions will look to carry that momentum back into conference play.

Southeastern will play host to Southland Conference rival Texas A&M Corpus Christi for a three game weekend set beginning Friday night at 6 p.m.

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.