Box Score
HAMMOND -- With the bases loaded and two out,
Cody Gougler singled to right center to bring home
Matt Fowler, and give the Southeastern Louisiana baseball team a 6-5 victory over Eastern Illinois on opening night of the 2010 season. The Lions needed five runs in the final two innings to get the job done.
The two teams played scoreless baseball until the sixth inning, when they traded runs. Eastern Illinois opened things up when Ben Thoma singled in Zach Borenstein in the top half of the frame. Southeastern countered in the bottom half, as Gougler grounded out to score
Josh Cryer.
Then the Panthers put together a huge seventh inning, plating three runs, all unearned. Gerik Wallsten executed a sacrifice bunt to score Shawn Ferguson. That was followed by a Daniel Rowe single, which brought home Curt Restko. Rowe advanced to third on an error. He would score when Cam Strang reached base on another Lion error, one of seven on the night.
Eastern Illinois padded its lead in the top of the eighth inning with another unearned run, as a Restko sacrifice fly to center allowed Richie Durbak to come home. Derbak had reached on a single, then advanced to second on an error and to third on a wild pitch.
Southeastern started to step up on offense in the bottom of the eighth.
Jeff Harkensee led off with a home run to right. After Cryer accepted his second hit by pitch of the evening,
Justin Boudreaux doubled him home. Two batters later, pinch hitter
Chad Livingston singled in Boudreaux.
In the ninth inning,
Philip Freeman drew a one out walk. Harkensee then continued his huge night with a single to move Freeman to third. Clean-up hitter Cryer laid down a sacrifice bunt after that, but in an attempt to deny the tying run, Eastern Illinois pitcher Matt Miller tossed the ball to the plate, and Freeman was able to slide under catcher Wallsten's tag. Two batters later, Gougler provided the previously mentioned drama to clinch victory.
The second game of the series is 2 p.m. Saturday at Alumni Field.
Live stats will be available at LionSports.net.
