Box Score HAMMOND, La. – Incarnate Word left-hander Dylan Boss and three relievers combined to keep Southeastern hitters off balance for most of Saturday's game as the Lions fell, 5-3, at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field, splitting the first two games of a Southland Conference series.
The Cardinals (11-21, 4-4 Southland) knocked Southeastern starter
Tate Scioneaux out of the game in the fifth inning, responding to the Lions' first run of the game with three of their own to take a 5-1 lead in the Alumni Day contest.
A pair of first-inning runs by UIW had Southeastern (22-13, 8-6 Southland) playing catch up from the beginning. The Cardinals sandwiched a pair of walks issued by Scioneaux around a single to load the bases without an out. Scioneaux retired the next two hitters on a popup to second base and a strikeout, but UIW right fielder Jason Stone singled through the left side to drive in both runs.
The Lions struggled early to figure out Boss, a soft-tossing southpaw, but finally broke through in the fourth.
Jameson Fisher led off the inning with a double to straight-away center field. He scored when
Brett Hoffman doubled to left-center, cutting the lead in half.
In the fifth, Scioneaux quickly retired the first two hitters on ground outs before running into trouble. The Cardinals strung together a pair of singles, a double and another single to take a 5-1 lead.
Kyle Cedotal relieved Scioneaux, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings.
Southeastern closed within a pair, scoring two in the eighth off two Cardinal relievers. With one out, right-hander Alex Shaffer hit Fisher in the shoulder with a pitch.
Andrew Godbold followed with single to right, sending Fisher all the way to third.
Following the single, UIW brought in left-hander Matthew Decker to flip switch-hitter
Daniel Midyett back to the right-hand side of the plate. Midyett grounded a slow roller to short, driving in Fisher and moving Godbold to second. Hoffman followed up with his second RBI double of the game, yanking the ball down the first-base line.
Hoffman and
Jacob Seward led the Lions at the plate, both recording the third three-hit game of their careers.
Boss (2-3) earned the win, allowing one run on six hits and a pair of walks in six innings of work. The left-hander fanned seven batters. Kris Looper earned his third save of the season, working the final 1.1 innings without allowing a run. Scioneaux was tagged with the loss, his third-consecutive after starting the season with five-straight victories.
Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale is the Lions Vs. Cancer Game. The baseball team is joining with the Vs. Cancer Foundation to aid in the fight against pediatric cancer by raising funds and awareness. The Vs. Cancer Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving kids' lives by empowering athletes and communities to fund lifesaving childhood cancer efforts.
Following Sunday's game the entire baseball team will shave their heads at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field to raise awareness. Fans are encouraged to make donations online. Fans can donate to the team's cause by going to http://Lions.vs-cancer.org. A donation can also be made in the name of an individual Southeastern player by clicking on the players name along the right side of the web site.
All of the money raised for the Vs. Cancer Foundation is split in half, with half of the proceeds going to national childhood cancer research, while the other half is donated to local childhood cancer hospitals and other efforts. The Lions will donate their local portion to the Ochsner Cancer Institute in New Orleans, La.
Sunday's game is also Take A Kid To The Game Day and Academy Family Sunday in the Park. Children 12 and under will be admitted free with a paying adult (one child per adult admission). Roomie's Kid Zone, sponsored by Academy Sports and Outdoors, will be open down the left-field line featuring a special Cub Club celebration and other family-friendly activities (weather pending).
Fans will also have a chance Sunday to enjoy the Raising Cane's Challenge. If the Lions score five or more runs in the game, fans presenting their ticket stub (or student coupon), and purchasing a combo at a participating Raising Cane's, will receive a free combo of equal or lesser value (through the following day).
Senior right-hander
Sean Kennel (3-2, 3.53) draws the starting nod for Southeastern in Sunday's series finale opposite Cardinal junior righty Jacob Potts (2-2, 5.62).
The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU 90.9 FM, online and either the KSLU or TuneIn Radio smartphone apps. Fans can keep up with the contest through live statistics or by following SLUathletics on Twitter. Streaming video is available on LionVision, Southeastern's subscription-based video stream. Links for tickets, audio, stats and video are available on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
Incarnate Word 5, Southeastern La. 3 (Apr 12, 2014 at Hammond, La.)
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Incarnate Word...... 200 030 000 - 5 13 0 (11-21, 4-4 SLC)
Southeastern La..... 000 100 020 - 3 9 0 (22-12, 8-6 SLC)
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Pitchers: Incarnate Word - Boss, Dylan; Shaffer, Alex (7); Decker, Matthew (8); Looper, Kris (8) and Besett, Colton. Southeastern La. - Scioneaux, Tate; Cedotal, Kyle (5); Klotz, Mason (9) and Fisher, Jameson.
Win-Boss, Dylan (2-3) Save-Looper, Kris (3) Loss-Scioneaux, Tate (5-3) T-2:19 A-555
Weather: 77 Partly Cloudy, SSE 14 mph
