Box Score ARLINGTON, Texas – Tyler Watkins pitched eight solid innings to improve his record to 6-0 and Southeastern Louisiana scored a pair of runs in the second inning to defeat UT Arlington, 2-1, in a Southland Conference game Saturday at Clay Gould Ballpark.
The series concludes on Sunday with the first pitch moved up one hour to a noon start. The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the internet at www.LionSports.net.
Cody Gougler and
Brock Hebert each drove in a run as Southeastern (22-10, 9-5 SLC) collected 11 hits and won its fifth straight game. Hebert,
Jonathan Pace and
Jeff Harkensee each had two hits for the Lions, who stranded 12 runners on base.
Watkins, who lowered his season earned run average to 1.80 in 60 innings pitched, fanned two batters and walked one for the Lions.
Stefan Lopez pitched the final inning for Southeastern, fanning pinch-hitter Jake Pinchback with the tying run on third base.
Southeastern, which had eight of its nine leadoff batters reach base, opened the second inning with consecutive singles by
Cass Hargis and
Britt Gautreaux before Gougler looped a single into center-field to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.
Trey Martin moved the runners to second and third before Hebert lofted a sacrifice fly to drive in Gautreaux for a 2-0 advantage.
UTA (16-15, 7-7 SLC) threatened in the fourth inning when Brian Nephew hit a one-out single and Jesse Payne hit a double to right. Watkins got Chad Comer to hit a liner to third base, where Pace tagged Nephew out to end the threat.
Preston Beck chased Watkins with a leadoff single in the ninth before Nephew greeted Lopez with a single through the left side. After Payne moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt, Lopez walked Comer to load the bases before Cody Dyvig hit into a fielder's choice to score Beck.
Nephew led UTA at the plate, going 3-for-4. Collin Reynolds (2-4) took the loss for the Mavs after scattering nine hits and allowing two runs in five innings.
Southeastern La..... 020 000 000 - 2 11 0 (22-10, 9-5 SLC)
UT Arlington........ 000 000 001 - 1 9 2 (16-15, 7-7 SLC)
Watkins, Lopez (9) and Cryer. Reynolds, Hansen (6), Merck (9) and Comer. W – Watkins (6-0). Sv. - Lopez (7). L – Reynolds (2-4). E – Vaughn (5), Hansen (1). DP - SLU 2, UTA 4. LOB - SLU 12, UTA 7. 2B – Hebert (8), Cryer (10), Walker (6), Nephew (11), Payne (4), Comer (7). HBP – Boudreaux 2. SH – Hebert (2), Hargis (3), Martin 2 (10), Payne (2). SF – Hebert (2). T - 2:34. A – 288.
