HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana took advantage of six free passes in a span of two innings by SIU-Edwardsville pitchers, walking away with an 11-2 win on Opening Night at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
The Lions (1-0) scored six in the fourth and tacked on three more in the fifth, to wipe out an early 2-0 lead by SIUE (0-1).
 
After the Cougars scratched across a pair of runs on a two-out single in the second, Josh Green (1-0) locked down the SIUE bats.
 
Junior second baseman Cody Grosse singled to left field leading off the fourth. After advancing to second on an errant pickoff attempt and taking third on a wild pitch, Grosse would eventually cross the plate after SIUE starter Nelson Martz (0-1) issued back-to-back-to-back walks with two out.
 
Senior catcher Daniel Wasinger picked up the RBI on the bases-loaded walk.
 
Junior right fielder Mike Taylor pulled a two-run single through the left side, driving in Scottie Sanders and Bryce Steckler. The pair reached on the first two walks issued by Martz.
 
Pinch hitter Kyle Schimpf, a junior from Covington, Louisiana, drove in Wasinger and Taylor with a pinch-hit single through the right side. Schimpf scored on Brennan Breaud's double to right field for the sixth and final run of the inning.
 
Three more walks and two more errors in the fifth set up Taylor for his second two-run single in as many innings.
 
The final two Lion runs arrived on Steckler's solo home run to right in the seventh and an RBI single by Taylor Schwaner down the left-field line in the eighth.
 
Green earned the win, allowing two runs on six hits in five innings of work. The senior from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, fanned three and did not walk a batter.
 
Reliever Jared Biddy and Will Warren each worked a pair of scoreless innings to close out the win.
 
Martz suffered the loss, surrendering five runs in 3.2 innings. The right-hander allowed two hits and four walks, striking out six.
 
Junior right-hander Corey Gaconi (7-5, 3.08) earns the starting nod for the Lions Saturday at 2 p.m. versus Cougar senior righty Brock Fulkerson (4-7, 6.32). A preseason All-Southland selection, Gaconi's 16 starts in 2017 are tied for the third most in program history.


There is no local radio coverage for the game, but streaming video is available through LionVision, Southeastern's subscription-based video stream. Fans can keep up with the game through live statistics or by following @SLUathletics on Twitter.
 
Links for video, stats, gameday promotions and tickets are available on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
 
TICKETS
Single game tickets can be purchased online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets or by contacting the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466. 
 
All home games are available except the matchup with No. 9-ranked LSU. Tickets to that game will only be available for purchase by Diamond Club members and current baseball season ticket holders until Feb. 21.

General Admission tickets for Lion home games are $9 for adults and $6 for children (ages 3-12). Tax is included in the price of admission. Southeastern students are admitted free with a valid university ID card.

Students and campus organizations can earn points toward their Lion Up Loyalty account at any home game by checking in on the mobile app while in attendance.

Fans interested in joining the Diamond Club can do so by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at (985) 549-5091.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow @Lions_Baseball on Twitter, @SLU_LionsBaseball on Instagram, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel to keep up with the latest on Southeastern baseball.