HOUSTON, Texas – Southeastern Louisiana took advantage of Rice miscues to defeat the No. 21-ranked Owls, 8-4, Friday at Reckling Park in the opening game of a weekend series.
The Lions (3-1) broke the game open with a seven-run sixth inning. Rice (2-4) pitchers walked five batters and hit another in the inning. The Owls also committed a pair of errors.
With the score tied, 1-1, second baseman
Carson Crites smacked a double off the wall in right-center field to lead off the sixth and designated hitter
Daniel Wasinger drew a walk.
Left fielder
Drew Avans laid down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw from Rice starting pitcher Dane Myers (0-1) bounced off Avans shoulder and down the first-base line. Crites and Wasinger both scored, and Avans advanced to second base.
Myers then hit first baseman
Derrick Mount with a pitch, putting a pair on for the Lions.
Pinch-hitter
Trenon Trosclair greeted reliever Evan Kravetz with an infield single to load the bases. With the Owls' bunt defense covering the corners, Trosclair's pop up landed untouched behind the second-base bag.
Catcher
Evan Pace laid down another bunt with the bases loaded. Miscommunication between Kravetz and the Rice first baseman led to an infield single, but Kravetz throw to first sailed down the line and allowed Pace to advance to third.
With Southeastern up, 6-1, Kravetz retired the next two batters before issuing four-consecutive walks to force in the Lions' final two runs.
In the bottom of the inning, Rice catcher Dominic DiCaprio knocked a three-run home run to complete the scoring.
Southeastern starter
Mac Sceroler (2-0) earned the win, allowing four runs in six innings. The junior from Denham Springs, Louisiana, surrendered six hits and a walk, fanning six batters.
Carlisle Koestler, a redshirt sophomore from Vicksburg, Mississippi, earned his first save, tossing three shutout innings in relief.
Myers was tagged with the loss, allowing five runs, four earned, in five innings. He surrendered five walks and four hits, striking out four batters.
Jacob Seward and Mount had two hits apiece to lead the Lions at the plate.
First pitch for Saturday's game is slated for 2 p.m. Junior right-hander
Kade Granier (0-1, 5.79) draws the starting assignment for Southeastern in the second game of the series against Owls' junior righty Ricardo Salinas (0-1, 6.75).
Southeastern 8, Rice 4 (Feb 24, 2017 at Houston)
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Southeastern........ 001 007 000 - 8 7 0 (3-1)
Rice..................... 000 103 000 - 4 9 3 (2-4)
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Pitchers: Southeastern - Sceroler, Mac; Koestler, Carlisle (7) and Pace, Evan. Rice - Dane Myers; Evan Kravetz (6); Garrett Gayle (7); Nick Silber (7); Addison Moss (8) and Dominic DiCaprio.
Win-Sceroler, Mac (2-0) Save-Koestler, Carlisle (1) Loss-Dane Myers (0-1) T-3:18 A-2445
HR RICE - Dominic DiCaprio (1).
Weather: 72 degrees, 15-mph NW wind
Myers faced 4 batters in the 6th.
Gayle faced 1 batter in the 7th.
