Box Score

LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team battled back-and-forth with McNeese State Thursday, coming out on top with a 7-6 victory, in the opening game of a Southland Conference series.

Southeastern (32-21, 15-10 Southland) lost an early lead in the first inning and had to claw from behind to regain it, fending off a rallying Cowboy squad in the ninth.

Ladd Rhodes drew a walk to open the game, moved to third on a hit-and-run single by Ben Hernandez and scored on a two-out single to left by Harry Slade.

McNeese (22-28, 9-16 Southland) then pounded out five first-inning hits off a pair of Lion pitchers to take a 3-1 lead.

Right-handers Sean Kennel (5-3) and Blake Ware (5-6) settled in and tossed four-straight scoreless innings apiece.

The Lions were the next to strike. After Ware walked Slade to lead off the sixth, Southeastern knocked five-consecutive base hits. Jesse Buratt doubled; Aaron Haag singled; Josh Watkins singled; Alex Marse singled and Rhodes doubled as the Lions plated five to take a 6-3 lead.

Responding immediately, the Cowboys narrowed the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Dylan Hills closed out the inning and locked down the McNeese bats for another couple innings.

Southeastern grabbed an important run back in the seventh as the Cowboys started a rally in the ninth. Mason Klotz recorded the final out of the game to earn his team-leading eighth save of the season as the Lions improved to 13-2 in one-run games in 2013.

Kennel picked up his fifth win of the season, with five innings out of the bullpen, while Ware suffered the loss.

Jameson Fisher, Haag, Rhodes, Slade and Watkins each recorded multi-hit games as the Lions posted double-digit hits for the first-time since another 7-6 win, at Central Arkansas, May 4.

Friday, a pair of freshmen will match up as Lion right-hander Tate Scioneaux (6-2, 3.72) draws McNeese righty Bryce Kingsley (7-5, 2.73). The game, originally scheduled for the afternoon, has been pushed back to a 6:30 p.m. start time and can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), on the internet through the Southeastern athletics website, as well as on the KSLU iPhone and TuneIn Radio apps.

Live stats, courtesy McNeese, will be available. Links to audio and stats are located on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net. Mobile links are available at www.LionSports.net/mobile.


Southeastern La. 7, McNeese 6 (May 16, 2013 at Lake Charles, La.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Southeastern La..... 100 005 100  -  7 13  1      (32-21, 15-10 SLC)
McNeese.................. 300 002 001  -  6 12  1      (22-28, 9-16 SLC)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Southeastern La. - Cutura, Andro; Kennel, Sean (1); Hills, Dylan (6); Klotz, Mason (9) and Roberson, Sam. McNeese - Ware, Blake; McGee, Trey (7); Parke, Tyler (9) and Toole, Cameron; Sommers, Billy.

Win-Kennel, Sean (5-3)  Save-Klotz, Mason (8)  Loss-Ware, Blake (5-6)  T-2:56  A-271
Weather: Most Cloudy, 81 degrees