LAKE CHARLES, La. – McNeese State rallied twice Sunday, averting a series sweep at the hands of Southeastern Louisiana by defeating the Lions, 7-6, in Southland Conference action at Joe Miller Ballpark.
Southeastern (28-13, 15-3 Southland) held leads of 4-0 and 5-3 in the game, but the Cowboys (23-14, 13-8 Southland) rode the bats of power hitters Connor Crane and Austin Nelson to a tie game.
Crane smashed a three-run home run to left field in the third inning and Nelson tied the game with a two-run shot to left in the sixth.
The Lions regained the lead in the eighth, 6-5.
Center fielder
Jacob Seward drew a walk leading off the inning. After third baseman
Derrick Mount sacrificed Seward into scoring position, shortstop
Brennan Breaud drove an RBI single up the middle.
Southeastern would eventually load the bases, but as they did in the seventh, the Lions left the bases loaded.
McNeese second baseman Joe Provenzano started the game-winning rally with a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth. Provenzano stole second base before Lion reliever
Josh Green issued a walk to right fielder Lewis Guilbeau.
After reliever
Kade Granier issued a walk to Nelson, loading the bases, third baseman Nick Fisbeck dropped a two-run single into center.
Southeastern went up and down in order in the ninth.
Cowboy reliever Collin Kober (2-1) earned the win with 1.1 scoreless innings to close out the game. Green (0-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) in three innings.
Breaud (3-for-5),
Carson Crites (2-for-5) and Seward (2-for-4) led Southeastern at the plate.
Webb Bobo drove in a pair with a first-inning single to right and Mount smacked his second home run of the season, a solo shot to left in the sixth.
Lion starting pitcher
Domenick Carlini combined with Green and Granier to limit McNeese to just five hits.
Southeastern returns to Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field to host Houston Baptist, Friday at 6 p.m., in the opener of a Southland Conference series. The game is Super Hero Night and fans are encouraged to wear their best attire or costume.
Tickets for the Lions' upcoming four-game homestand 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.
A limited number of Right Field Box Seats are available for $15 dollars and include access to a picnic table. General Admission tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children (ages 3-12) for all individual Lion home games.
Southeastern students are admitted free with a valid university ID card. Students and campus organizations can earn points toward their new Lion Up Loyalty account at any home game by checking in on the mobile app while in attendance.
McNeese State 7, Southeastern 6 (Apr 24, 2016 at Lake Charles, La.)
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Southeastern.......... 310 001 010 - 6 10 1 (28-13, 15-3 SLC)
McNeese State....... 003 002 02X - 7 5 0 (23-14, 13-8 SLC)
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Pitchers: Southeastern - Carlini, Domenick; Green, Josh (5); Granier, Kade (8) and Eades, Chris; Roberson, Sam. McNeese State - Stremmel, Ethan; Fontenot, Trent (7); Kober, Collin (8) and Toole, Cameron.
Win-Kober, Collin (2-1) Loss-Green, Josh (0-1) T-2:37 A-744
HR SLU - Mount, Derrick (2).
HR MCN - Crane, Connor (8); Nelson, Austin (1).
Weather: 78; Partly Sunnny; Wind: S9
Stremmel, E. faced 2 batters in the 7th.
