GREENVILLE, N.C. – Jameson Fisher yanked a 2-out, solo home run to right field in the top of the ninth inning Sunday, helping lead Southeastern Louisiana to 5-4 win over Tennessee on the final day of action at the 13th annual Keith LeClair Classic.
Southeastern (6-5) jumped out in front early, holding off a charge back by Tennessee (7-3), to pick up a win in another close game at the tournament. The Lions dropped a 2-1 decision to No. 16-ranked East Carolina in the opener.
Center fielder
Jacob Seward, a junior from New Orleans, Louisiana, led off the game with a single up the middle and then stole second base. Shortstop
Brennan Breaud reached on a bunt single, advancing Seward to third, but the throw by Tennessee third baseman Nick Senzel was wild. Seward scored on the throwing error.
In the second inning Vols' starting pitcher Hunter Martin battled a temporary bout of wildness, issuing back-to-back walks to
Ryan Byers, a junior from Ponchatoula, Louisiana, and
Chris Eades. Both later advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. Martin went to a 3-1 count on the next batter, third baseman
Derrick Mount, before he ripped an RBI single through the left side to plate Byers.
Mount stole second ahead of Seward's RBI single through the left side. Eades, a senior from Slidell, Louisiana, scored. Seward drew a pickoff throw to first, allowing Mount to score during the ensuing rundown as the Lions went up, 4-0, in the game.
Southeastern starting pitcher
Domenick Carlini cruised through the Tennessee order the first time around, facing the minimum in the first three innings.
The Vols struck for three runs, just one earned, in the fourth.
With one out, right fielder Chris Hall chopped an infield single to shortstop. One out later, left fielder Vincent Jackson singled through the right side before Carlini plunked first baseman Jordan Rodgers with a pitch to load the bases.
Hall would come home to break up the shutout on a wild pitch, while Jackson and Rodgers scored on a throwing error by Mount.
Tennessee tied the game with a run in the sixth, chasing Carlini in the process.
Senzel led off the inning with a single up the middle, advancing to second when Jackson followed by slapping a single through the left side. After Rodgers flied out to center, Senzel swiped third after getting caught in a rundown off a pickoff attempt.
Catcher Tyler Schultz lofted a fly ball to center, allowing Senzel to score from third.
The Lions went right back to work against the Tennessee bullpen.
Southeastern loaded the bases with one out in both the seventh and eighth innings, but was unable to produce a run either time.
Steven Kane (0-1), the fourth pitcher used by the Vols in the eighth, retired Seward and Breaud in the ninth, setting up Fisher's heroics.
Kade Granier (1-0) worked the final 3.1 innings, shutting out Tennessee the rest of the way as he retired the final eight batters he faced. The sophomore right-hander from Destrahan, Louisiana, scattered one hit and one walk, striking out three to earn the win.
Breaud, a freshman from Norco, Louisiana, went 3-for-5 at the plate, joining Seward (2-for-4) and Fisher (2-for-4) with multi-hit performances.
The Lions, who ran at will early in the game, stole five bases in six attempts.
Southeastern returns to Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field for the annual Pack the Pat promotion Tuesday against Southern Miss. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. The first 300 students in attendance will receive free t-shirts and food, while supplies last.
General admission tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children (ages 3-12). Southeastern students will be 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 5, Tennessee 4 (Mar 06, 2016 at Greenville, N.C.)
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Southeastern........ 130 000 001 - 5 10 2 (6-5)
Tennessee............ 000 301 000 - 4 6 2 (7-3)
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Pitchers: Southeastern - Carlini, Domenick; Granier, Kade (6) and Eades, Chris. Tennessee – Martin, Hunter; Soto, Aaron (6); Neely, Will (7); Reid, Zach (8); Vasquez, Daniel (8); Kane, Steven (8) and Santiago, Benito; Schultz, Tyler.
Win-Granier, Kade (1-0) Loss-Kane, Steven (0-1) T-3:14
HR SLU - Fisher, Jameson (3).
NEELY faced 1 batter in the 8th.
VASQUEZ faced 2 batters in the 8th.
