ABILENE, Texas – Sophomore
Taylor Schwaner smacked a game-tying grand slam and junior
Webb Bobo ripped a two-run single to right field Sunday to plate the winning run as Southeastern Louisiana strung together a six-run rally in the ninth inning at Crutcher Scott Field, defeating Abilene Christian, 9-7, to sweep a Southland Conference series from the Wildcats.
The Lions (14-6, 6-0 Southland) extended their winning streak to eight, remaining atop the conference standings in the process.
Early on there was no indication a comeback would be necessary.
First baseman
Jameson Fisher gave Southeastern a first-inning lead, rocketing a low line drive over the right-field wall. The two-out, solo shot was the seventh home run of the season for the junior from Zachary, Louisiana.
Left-hander
Domenick Carlini, a senior from Nesbit, Mississippi, was in command early, facing one over the minimum through the game's first three innings.
In the fourth, however, ACU took advantage of a Lion error, chasing Carlini with four unearned runs.
Southeastern cut into the Wildcats' 4-1 lead in the fifth.
Right fielder
Julian Service, a senior from Sarnia, Ontario, slashed a triple into the right-center field gap to lead off the inning and scored on catcher
Chris Eades' one-out sacrifice fly to center.
ACU came right back to score three more runs in the fifth, extending its lead over the Lions to 7-2.
Relievers
Cliff Hurst and
Gabe Von Rosenberg quieted the Wildcat bats, combining to work three shutout innings out of the bullpen, keeping Southeastern within striking distance.
With one out in the seventh, Bobo pulled a double down the right-field line. The left fielder from Prattville, Alabama, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on
Carson Crites' RBI single to left-center.
After walking the leadoff batter in the eighth,
Kade Granier (2-0) retired the next three batters to strand the runner in scoring position and set the stage for the Lions' ninth-inning heroics.
Service started the rally with a one-out single to left. He advanced to third on Crites' double into the right-field corner, chasing Wildcat reliever Brandon Lambright.
ACU closer Nick Palacios (0-1) walked the first batter he faced, pinch hitter
Drew Avans, to load the bases in front of Schwaner.
A strong, chilly prevailing wind out of the north spent the entire three-game series knocking down every ball hit to left field, except one. The third baseman from New Orleans, Louisiana, turned on an 0-1 offering from Palacios, smacking it through the teeth of the wind to tie the game. Schwaner's home run was the first of his career.
Southeastern kept the pressure on as center fielder
Jacob Seward singled up the middle. After Seward stole second base on a strikeout, Palacios intentionally walked Fisher to set up a force. The right-hander was forced out of the game after he walked designated hitter
Daniel Midyett to load the bases.
Bobo greeted right-hander Nate Cole, the Wildcats' third pitcher of the inning, with a two-run single to right, putting Southeastern on top, 9-7.
Granier worked a perfect ninth, earning his second win of the season. Palacios was saddled with the loss.
Fisher (3-for-4), Bobo (2-for-5), Crites (2-for-4) and Service (2-for-5) all turned in multi-hit performances for the Lions.
Southeastern wraps up its four-game road swing Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Jackson State. The Lions return to Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field for a three-game Southland series against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Thursday through Saturday.
General admission tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children (ages 3-12) for all Lion home games. Southeastern students are admitted free with a valid university ID card.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets or by contacting the athletics ticket office at (985) 549-5466 or 1-866-LION-TIX.
Ticket office hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Fridays. The box office at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field opens one hour prior to the scheduled first pitch.
Southeastern 9, Abilene Christian 7 (Mar 20, 2016 at Abilene, Texas)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Southeastern.......... 100 010 106 - 9 11 3 (14-6, 6-0 SLC)
Abilene Christian... 000 430 000 - 7 8 0 (9-10, 2-4 SLC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Southeastern - Carlini, Domenick; Mount, Derrick (4); Hurst, Cliff (5); Von Rosenberg, Gabe (6); Granier, Kade (8) and Eades, Chris; Roberson, Sam. Abilene Christian – Mason, Aaron; Kornely, Zach (7); Goetze, Joseph (8); Lambright, Brandon (9); Palacios, Nick (9); Cole, Nate (9) and Copeland, Alex.
Win-Granier, Kade (2-0) Loss-Palacios, Nick (0-1) T-2:53 A-575
HR SLU - Fisher, Jameson (7); Schwaner, Taylor (1).
Weather: Clear, breezy, cool
Mount, D. faced 3 batters in the 5th.
