Box Score

LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team clinched the fourth seed in the 2013 Southland Conference Tournament with a 6-4 win Saturday at McNeese State in its regular-season finale.

Southeastern (33-22, 16-11 Southland) used a couple of big innings to fight off a persistent attack by the Cowboys.

Ben Hernandez opened up the game with a double down the left-field line and moved to third as Jameson Fisher followed up with a bloop single to left. After Fisher stole second, Sam Roberson drove in Hernandez with a ground out to shortstop.

Jason Gibson, the McNeese (23-29, 10-17 Southland) starter, hit Harry Slade to put runners on the corners with one out. After Slade stole second, Jesse Buratt drove in Fisher with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Cowboys tied the game with single runs in the second and third off Southeastern starter Jordan Hymel, one of six Lion pitchers in the game, and took the lead with another run in the fifth.

Trailing 3-2, Southeastern mounted a three-run comeback in the seventh. Ladd Rhodes, pinch-hitter Josh Watkins and Alex Marse all singled to load the bases with no outs. After Rhodes was forced at the plate on a fielder's choice by Hernandez, Fisher smacked his third hit of the game to drive home both Watkins and Marse. Hernandez went to third on the hit and scored on a suicide squeeze as Roberson pushed a bunt up the first-base line.

McNeese second baseman Tony Klouser homered to left to lead off the seventh, but the Lions plated an insurance run in the eighth to regain a two-run lead.

Southeastern turned the ball over to freshman Mason Klotz in the eighth and the right-hander from Maringouin, La., retired the final six batters of the game in order, fanning three, for his ninth save of the season.

Jason Greenleaf (1-0) picked up the win, working a scoreless sixth, while McNeese right-hander Jacob Williams (1-4) suffered the loss.

The Lions will face the No. 5-seed Lamar Cardinals at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas, in the final game of the tournament's opening day.

Other first-round action includes No. 3-seed Oral Roberts taking on No. 6-seed Stephen F. Austin at 9 a.m., No. 2-seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi versus No. 7-seed Central Arkansas at 12 p.m., and No. 1-seed Sam Houston State against No. 8-seed McNeese State at 4 p.m.

Ticket information, the tournament bracket, information on Constellation Field and host city Sugar Land can be found on the tournament's official website, Southland.org/Championships/BaseballTournament.aspx.


Southeastern La. 6, McNeese 4 (May 18, 2013 at Lake Charles, La.)
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Southeastern La..... 200 000 310  -  6 12  2      (33-22, 16-11 SLC)
McNeese.................. 011 010 100  -  4   5  0      (23-29, 10-17 SLC)
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Pitchers: Southeastern La. - Hymel, Jordan; Manuel, Kaleb (5); Greenleaf, Jason (6); Von Rosenberg, Gabe (7); Pittari, Matt (7); Klotz, Mason (8) and Roberson, Sam. McNeese - Gibson, Jason; Williams, Jacob (4); McGee, Trey (7); Parke, Tyler (8) and Toole, Cameron.

Win-Greenleaf, Jason (1-0)  Save-Klotz, Mason (9)  Loss-Williams, Jacob (1-4)  T-2:30  A-386
HR MCN - Klouser, Tyler (2).
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 81 degrees
Gibson, J. faced 2 batters in the 4th.