Box Score Box Score
MOBILE, Ala. – Brock Hebert broke a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning with an RBI single and Southeastern Louisiana rallied from a pair of three-run deficits to defeat South Alabama and claim the 26th annual South Alabama Classic on Sunday at Stanky Field.
Stefan Lopez pitched the final two innings to record his second save in as many days as Southeastern (6-1) won for the fifth straight time and claimed the three-day tournament for the first time since 1998 when it beat Northwestern, Wichita State and South Alabama (5-2).
Southeastern trailed 3-0 after two innings before beginning its rally against the host Jaguars. Hebert, who finished 2-for-4 at the plate, was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Trey Martin and a passed ball by USA catcher Brent Tanner.
Cass Hargis, who led Southeastern at the plate going 3-for-5, followed with a single to drive in Hebert and cutting South Alabama's lead to 3-1.
South Alabama took a 4-1 lead in the sixth when Brad Hook drove in Nolan Earley with a sacrifice fly.
The Lions added a run when Martin scored on a double by
Jonathan Pace before cutting the lead to 4-3 in the seventh when Hargis led off with a double and scored on an RBI grounder by
Justin Boudreaux, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
Cody Gougler led off the eighth inning when he was hit by a pitch by USA starter Dustin Crenshaw and moved to third when
Josh Cryer greeted Jaguar reliever Jake LeBlanc (0-1) with a double down the left field line. Pinch-hitter
Britt Gautreaux then hit an RBI grounder that scored Gougler and Hebert followed with a single to left to give the Lions their first lead of the game.
Southeastern added an insurance run in the ninth as it capitalized on one of four South Alabama errors. Pace led off the frame with a single to center and scored all the way from first when a one-out single by
Jeff Harkensee got past USA center-fielder Taylor White for a three-base error.
Tyler Watkins pitched six innings for Southeastern, scattering 10 hits and striking out three. Redshirt freshman
Matt Pittari and frue freshman
Dylan Hills (1-0) kept South Alabama off the scoreboard in the seventh with HIll retiring the only batter he faced in earning his first collegiate victory.
Lopez, who pitched the final 2.2 innings against UCF on Saturday to earn his first save of the year, held the Jaguars hitless over the final two innings while recording a strikeout.
Southeastern will return to action on Tuesday when it visits nationally-ranked LSU in a 6:30 p.m. game at Alex Box Stadium.
Southeastern Louisiana 001 010 121 - 6 11 0
South Alabama 030 001 000 - 4 11 4
Watkins, Pittari (7), Hills (7), Lopez (8) and Cryer. Crenshaw, LeBlanc (8), McGiboney (9), Dees (9) and Tanner. W – Hills (1-0). L – LeBlanc (0-1). Sv. – Lopez (2). E – White (2), Roam 3 (6). DP – SLU 2, USA 1. LOB – SLU 11, USA 7. 2B – Hargis (3), Pace (2), Cryer (2), Overstreet (3), Earley (4), Hook (2). HBP – Gougler, Hebert, Martin, Smith. SH – Martin (4). SF – Hook (1), Roam (1). SB – Hebert 2 (5), Earley (1). T – 2:44. A – 1,319.
