Box Score

Box Score

HAMMOND – Cass Hargis went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and four RBI while right-hander Tyler Watkins allowed an earned run in 6.2 innings to lead No. 21 Southeastern Louisiana to a 9-3 Southland Conference victory over Central Arkansas on Friday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.

Justin Boudreaux, Jeff Harkensee and Cody Gougler each collected two hits for Southeastern (21-2, 6-1 SLC), which pounded out 11 hits and scored a run in the first and four in the second.

The series resumes on Saturday in a 2 p.m. contest. Southeastern will send junior right-hander Brandon Efferson (5-0, 1.87 ERA) to the mound while UCA will counter with southpaw Dustin Ward (1-1, 7.52 ERA). The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the internet at www.LionSports.net.

Hargis, who missed hitting for the cycle for the second time in his career, hit a two-run single in the second inning, added an RBI double in the sixth and an RBI triple in the eighth. His first base hit – off UCA starter Michael Wild (2-4) – scored Chris Ernest and Brock Hebert and gave the Lions a 3-0 lead.

Boudreaux and Harkensee then followed with RBI singles as the Lions collected eight hits in the first two innings and led 5-0.

The Lions went into their bag of tricks in the fifth inning after putting runners on the corners with one out. Josh Cryer, who walked and moved to third on a single by Gougler, scored on an attempted double steal after Gougler was safe at first under the tag of first baseman Blake Roberts.

Southeastern added a run in the sixth as Hebert, who scored three times for the Lions, reached on a two-base error and scored when Hargis doubled to left field off Wild, who scattered 11 hits and allowed seven earned runs in 7.1 innings on the mound.

Hargis iced the game for the Lions in the eighth when he drove in Hebert with a triple to right-center field and scored when Bobby Pritchett's throw to third sailed out of play.

Watkins (3-1) scattered five hits and fanned three batters in winning his second straight decision. The junior was aided by a pair of double plays by the Southeastern defense before Josh Janway and Ryan Boudreaux closed out the game.

UCA recorded six hits overall with Ethan Harris, Clay Washington and Michael Pair getting two hits apiece. Harris and Washington each hit a pair of doubles while Pair hit an RBI triple in the sixth inning that closed the UCA deficit to 6-3.

Central Arkansas.... 000 102 000 - 3 6 3 (7-15, 2-5 SLC)
Southeastern La..... 140 011 02x - 9 11 4 (21-2, 6-1 SLC)
Wild, Brewer (8) and Pair. Watkins, Janway (7), R. Boudreaux (9) and Cryer. W - Watkins (3-1). L - Wild (2-4). E – Roberts (5), Pritchett 2 (6), J. Boudreaux (4), Franklin 2 (5), Martin (3). DP - UCA 2, SLU 2. LOB - UCA 7, SLU 6. 2B – Harris 2 (4), Washington 2 (5), Hargis (9). 3B – Pair (1), Hargis (4). HBP - Roberts, Hargis, Martin. SH – Martin (6). SB – Pritchett (4), Hargis 2 (9), J. Boudreaux (9), Cryer (2), Hebert (6). T - 2:37. A – 883.