HAMMOND, La. – Daniel Midyett and
Webb Bobo smashed back-to-back home runs in a four-run sixth, and Southeastern Louisiana powered past South Alabama, 9-2, in a non-conference game Tuesday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Southeastern (11-6) extended its winning streak to five straight and picked up its fifth consecutive win in the series with South Alabama (12-5).
The Lions got seven shutout innings of relief pitching from the bullpen, allowing Southeastern to erase an early 2-0 deficit. South Alabama picked up its runs in the second inning.
Jaguar third baseman Ben Gann knocked a one-out double into the right-center field gap. After designated hitter Carter Perkins drew a walk, left fielder Brendan Donovan singled to load the bases.
Catcher Tanner Halstead lofted a fly ball to deep center, allowing Gann to score on the sacrifice fly. Perkins also advanced on the sac fly and later scored on a wild pitch.
After
Pat Cashman exited with an apparent injury in the third,
Drew Avans (1-1) took over on the mound for the Lions. He quickly set about silencing the Jaguar bats, retiring the first seven batters he faced.
Southeastern tied the game in the fourth with a pair of runs.
Shortstop
Brennan Breaud, a freshman from Norco, Louisiana, led off the inning with a single up the middle. He advanced to third on
Jameson Fisher's single to right and scored on a wild pitch.
Fisher, a junior from Zachary, Louisiana, advanced to second when designated hitter
Daniel Midyett worked a walk off Jaguar starter, and loser, Randy Bell (0-1). Right fielder
Webb Bobo, a junior from Prattville, Alabama, drove in Fisher with an RBI single to center.
The Lions took a commanding lead in the sixth.
Center fielder
Jacob Seward reached on an infield single and then advanced to second on a throwing error by the second baseman. Breaud followed with a single up the middle, his third hit of the game, to drive in Seward for a 3-2 lead and chase Bell.
Reliever Justin Flores walked Fisher before Midyett blasted his second two-run home run in as many games, giving the Lions a 5-2 lead.
Bobo greeted new left-handed reliever Thomas Houston with a solo blast to right-center, also his second in as many games.
Southeastern added three more runs, all with two out in the seventh, to complete the scoring.
Avans earned the win, scattering four hits and fanning four batters in four innings of work.
Derrick Mount tossed a pair of perfect innings, striking out two, and
Corey Gaconi tossed a scoreless ninth for the Lions.
Breaud (3-for-4), Bobo (2-for-3) and Midyett (2-for-3) each turned in multi-hit performances. Midyett drove in three and Bobo a pair, while Fisher (3), Breaud (2) and Midyett (2) each scored multiple runs.
Southeastern returns to Southland Conference play this coming weekend with a three-game series at Abilene Christian. Game times are slated for Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Southeastern 9, South Alabama 2 (Mar 15, 2016 at Hammond, La.)
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South Alabama....... 020 000 000 - 2 6 1 (12-5)
Southeastern........... 000 204 30X - 9 10 0 (11-6)
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Pitchers: South Alabama - Bell, Randy; Flores, Justin (6); Huston, Thomas (6); Schmits, Jordan (7); Barr, John (7) and Halstead, Tanner. Southeastern - Cashman, Pat; Avans, Drew (3); Mount, Derrick (7); Gaconi, Corey (9) and Eades, Chris.
Win-Avans, Drew (1-1) Loss-Bell, Randy (0-1) T-2:40 A-1116
HR SLU - Midyett, Daniel (2); Bobo, Webb (2).
Weather: Partly Cloudy 79, SW 12 mph
Cashman, P. faced 1 batter in the 3rd.
Flores faced 2 batters in the 6th.
