Box Score Box Score
HAMMOND – Chris Ernest's pinch-hit single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth gave the No. 21 Southeastern Louisiana baseball team a 6-5 victory over South Alabama Wednesday night at Alumni Field. The win was the Lions' 20th of the season.
Southeastern (20-2) continues its home stand with a three-game Southland Conference series against Central Arkansas, beginning Friday at 6 p.m.
The Lions started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a pair of runs. After
Cass Hargis and
Justin Boudreaux were hit by pitches,
Jeff Harkensee walked to load the bases. South Alabama proceeded to pull starting pitcher Lance Brown before he registered an out, replacing him with Dustin Crenshaw. Crenshaw induced a double play by
Josh Cryer, but Hargis scored on the play. Next,
Cody Gougler singled home Boudreaux.
South Alabama (15-9) proceeded to take the lead with a run in the third and three more in the fourth inning, making the count 5-2 in favor of the Jaguars.
Southeastern trimmed the deficit in the bottom of the fourth.
Brock Hebert reached on a one out double to left, immediately followed by a double down the left field line by
Trey Martin, scoring Hebert.
In the sixth, the Lions tied the score on the strength of a Harkensee home run over the wall in left. That brought home Hargis, bringing the count to 6-6.
Gougler started the bottom of the ninth for Southeastern with a double to right center.
Chris Franklin was the intentionally walked.
Joe Sparacino pushed a sacrifice bunt to third base, moving the runners to second and third. The Jags then chose to walk Hebert to load the bases. Pinch hitting for
Torin Lucas, Ernest ended the game on a 2-2 pitch, smashing a solid base knock past USA pitcher Garrett Harris and into center field, plating Gougler.
Southeastern pitchers threw shutout ball from the fifth inning on, with
Josh Janway,
Justin Schneider and Franklin all holding South Alabama scoreless. Franklin (2-1) earned the win, going the last 1.2 innings, allowing a hit and striking out a pair of Jags.
Phillip Byrd (2-1) suffered the loss for South Alabama.
South Alabama....... 001 400 000 - 5 11 0 (15-9)
Southeastern La..... 200 102 001 - 6 8 0 (20-2)
L. Brown; Crenshaw (1); Bailey (3); Reeves (5); Paris (5); C. Brown (8); Byrd (8); Harris (9) and Mitchell; Tanner (4); Hammac (9). Lorenz; Lopez (4); Janway (5); Schneider (7); Franklin (8) and Gough-Fortenberry; Lucas (6). W - Franklin (2-1). L - Byrd (2-1). DP - USA 2; SLU 1. LOB - USA 6; SLU 14. 2B – Heisler (3); White (9); Reynolds (6); Gougler (6); Hebert (6); Martin (2). 3B – Grichor (1). HR – Hook (1); Harkensee (3). HBP – Hargis; Boudreaux 2; Gougler. SH - Sparacino (2). SB – Grichor (10); White (13). CS – White (1). T-3:18. A-825.
