Box Score

Box Score

HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana junior Jeff Harkensee was 2-for-4 with a home run and four runs batted in to lead the Lions to an 11-6 victory over Southern in their non-conference home finale Wednesday night at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.

The Lions (31-12) scored all their runs in the first three innings, including a six-run outburst in the opening frame. Harkensee and junior Cass Hargis (2-for-4) led a nine-hit Southeastern attack, as the Lions took advantage of seven walks and eight wild pitches by Southern (15-17).

Freshman Jordan Hymel (7-1) earned the win for the Lions, striking out three batters. Junior Tyler Watkins earned his first career save by throwing three hitless innings.

A single by sophomore Justin Boudreaux and consecutive walks issued to Harkensee and sophomore Cody Gougler allowed the Lions to load the bases in the bottom of the first against Southern senior Terrell Stringer (0-1) with one out. Junior Joe Sparacino reached on a fielder's choice to plate the first run and freshman Brock Hebert drew a bases loaded walk to push the lead to 2-0.

Stringer, who was making his first official appearance of the 2010 campaign, uncorked two wild pitches to allow two more runs to come home before being lifted for junior Troy LaBorde. LaBorde promptly fired a wild pitch of his own, allowing another run to come home. Sophomore Torin Lucas sent in the inning's final run with a sacrifice fly to left, giving the Lions a 6-0 cushion after the opening frame.

The Lions added to the advantage in their half of the second. Boudreaux drew a leadoff walk and Harkensee followed with a line shot over the right field fence. The Arlington Heights, Ill. native's fifth home run of the year gave Southeastern an eight-run edge. Southeastern tacked on another run, as Gougler walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, took third on a Sparacino ground out and scored on a Hebert sacrifice fly.

Southern cut into the Lions' nine-run advantage in the top of the third inning. With a pair of runners on and one out, junior Curtis Wilson homered just inside the left field foul pole to pull the Jaguars within six at 9-3.

The Lions got two of those runs back in the bottom of the third. An infield single by Lucas and a walk issued to Hargis put a pair of runners on with two outs. Harkensee came through in the clutch, ripping his team-high 21st double of the season into the right centerfield gap. The hit cleared the bases and put Southeastern ahead, 11-3.

Southern chased Hymel in the top of the fifth inning, as RBI doubles by senior David Worthington and freshmen Kevin Williams keyed a three-run Southern frame that pulled the Jaguars within five.

From there, neither offense could get anything going after the early fireworks. Watkins and sophomore Josh Janway combined to allow two Jaguar base runners in the final four innings. For Southern, freshman Stanten Jones shook off a rocky start to scatter four hits and strike out three in six innings of relief work.

Southeastern will return to action with a three-game Southland Conference series against in-state rival Nicholls. The series begins with a 6 p.m. contest on Friday in Thibodaux, before continuing on Saturday with the teams returning to Hammond for a 2 p.m. contest. Sunday's series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. on the NSU campus. All three games will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the Internet at www.LionSports.net.