HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana rebounded from a tough loss Thursday to the No. 2-ranked team in the nation with a 10-5 pounding Friday of Northwestern University.
Southeastern (6-4) pounded out 17 hits, scoring multiple runs in the first, third and fourth innings, on its way to taking the series opener from the Wildcats (1-7) at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Ryan Byers led off the first with a single up the middle, moved to second base on a wild pitch by Northwestern starting pitcher Brandon Magallones (0-1) and advanced to third base when the second baseman mishandled a ground ball off the bat of
Julian Service.
Byers eventually scored on a wild pitch with Service moving into scoring position. Service stole third and scored on
Carson Crites' one-out single. The Lions led 2-0 after the first and would add three more in third.
Kevin Carr singled to open up the third, but was erased on Crites fielder's choice grounder to short. Crites stole second before
Brett Hoffman drew a one-out walk. Left fielder
Webb Bobo drove in Crites with a single to left center.
With two outs, catcher
Nico Cuccia reached on an infield single to load the bases and Byers singled to right, plating Hoffman and Bobo.
Southeastern would add four more runs in the fourth, but the Wildcats would answer with a four spot of their own in the top of the fifth.
The Lions picked up their final run in the seventh when
Daniel Midyett tripled in Service with two outs. Northwestern answered with a run in its half of the eighth to complete the scoring.
Tate Scioneaux (1-1) earned the win, allowing four runs in seven innings of work. Magallones suffered the loss for the Wildcats.
Byers, Cuccia and Hoffman all enjoyed three-hit nights, while Bobo, Crites and Midyett each produced a pair of hits.
With rain expected in the Hammond area later in the weekend, Sunday's contest has been pushed up a day as part of a doubleheader on Saturday to wrap up the series. Season ticket holders are asked to bring both their Saturday and Sunday tickets with them to the doubleheader.
Saturday's general admission tickets will be $12 for adults, $8 for youth, and will be good for both games of the doubleheader.
The first game, which includes baseball-themed bingo, is slated for 2 p.m. The game is also part of the Great American Spit Out. The series finale will begin approximately 45 minutes after the completion of the day's first game.
To open the doubleheader, the Lions will send junior right-hander
Jake Johnson (2-0, 0.00) to the mound against Northwestern southpaw Reed Mason (0-2, 9.90). Junior left-hander
Kyle Cedotal (1-1, 3.48) draws the starting nod for Southeastern in the finale against Wildcat left-hander Matt Portland (0-2, 2.25).
Southeastern La. 10, Northwestern 5 (Feb 27, 2015 at Hammond, La.)
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Northwestern........... 000 040 010 - 5 6 1 (1-7)
Southeastern La..... 203 400 10X - 10 17 2 (6-4)
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Pitchers: Northwestern - Magallones, Brandon; Yoss, Justin (4); Schreiber, Evan (8) and Heelan, Scott; Claeys, Jack. Southeastern La. - Scioneaux, Tate; Avans, Drew (8) and Cuccia, Nico.
Win-Scioneaux, Tate (1-1) Loss-Magallones, Brandon (0-1) T-2:50 A-576
Weather: 46 Clear, NNE 4 mph
