HAMMOND, La. – Cody Grosse was hit by a pitch, forcing in the winning run as Southeastern Louisiana walked off with a 4-3 win Saturday over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in 10 innings at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
Southeastern (24-10, 11-3 Southland) has taken the first two games of the Southland Conference series and extended the Islanders' (16-16, 2-9 Southland) losing streak to seven games.
 
Expected to be a pitcher's duel between a pair of the Southland's top pitching prospects, the matchup did not disappoint.
 
The Lions took advantage of some early wildness by A&M-Corpus Christi starter Aaron Hernandez in the second. The hard-throwing righty, who topped out at 96 mph on the stadium radar gun, walked Kyle Schimpf and Taylor Schwaner to open up the inning.
 
Daniel Wasinger followed with a single to left-center field to load the bases before Mike Taylor, a junior from Tampa, Florida, pulled an RBI single through the left side. After Schwaner was erased on a fielder's choice, Wasinger scored as Trenon Trosclair reached on another fielder's choice.
 
Wasinger and Taylor's singles would be the Lions' only hits until Trosclair reached on an infield single with two outs in the seventh.
 
Southeastern starter Carlisle Koestler carried a no-hitter into the fifth, but the two-out single by Islander center fielder Dalton Stark sparked a rally. Back-to-back doubles and a single followed, pushing A&M-Corpus Christi out in front, 3-2.
 
The Lions chased Hernandez with two outs in the seventh, but stranded a pair of runners.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi left fielder Itchy Burts singled to open the eighth and was sacrificed to second, but Lion reliever Trey Shaffer got a popup and a groundout to end the inning.
 
Kyle Schimpf blasted a solo homer, his fifth of the season, to tie the game with one out in the eighth. With two outs, two relievers combined to walk the bases loaded. Islanders' head coach Scott Malone brought in his closer, Chris Cooper, who promptly shut down the threat with a groundout.

A leadoff single by Nick Anderson in the ninth greeted Southeastern reliever Jared Biddy. After the right-hander struck out the Islander cleanup hitter, Anderson stole second base. Biddy got a popup for the second out before walking a batter. He fanned the next hitter to end the inning.
 
Cooper issued a two-out walk in the ninth, but got Schimpf to foul out to send the game into extra innings.
 
Biddy worked around a two-out double in the 10th, stranding the runner at second.
 
Following a groundout to open the bottom of the 10th, Cooper walked Lion catcher Evan Pace. He was erased on a fielder's choice off the bat of Taylor. With two out Cooper issued back-to-back walks to Brennan Breaud and Trosclair to load the bases before plunking Grosse.
 
Neither starter earned a decision. Koestler lasted six innings, allowing three runs on four hits and two hit batters. He did not issue a walk, striking out three. Hernandez went 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks. He struck out eight.
 
Biddy (2-0) earned the win, working a pair of scoreless innings. Cooper (0-1) was saddled with the loss, walking four in two innings without a strikeout.
 
The Lions, who entered the weekend issuing the fourth fewest walks per nine innings in the nation, walked one batter. A&M-Corpus Christi pitchers struck out 10, but issued 11 walks.
 
Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale is another Local Hero Appreciation Day. Every Sunday home game throughout the 2018 season, the Lions give thanks to our first responders, service members and military personnel with a discounted ticket available at the ticket booth (must have a valid service ID).
 
Southeastern will send redshirt junior right-hander Kade Granier (2-2, 2.81) to the mound opposite Islander senior right-hander Jackson Owens (2-1, 5.18).
 
The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU 90.9 FM, and worldwide online or through either the Radio FX or TuneIn apps. Fans can also keep up with all the action through streaming video, live statistics or by following @SLUathletics on Twitter. Links to audio, video, stats, promotions and tickets are available on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
 
TICKETS
Single game tickets for Lion home games can be purchased online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets or by contacting the athletics ticket office at (985) 549-5466. 
 
General Admission tickets 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, campus organizations and fans can earn points toward their Lion Up Loyalty account at any home game by checking in on the mobile app while in attendance.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lions Baseball, follow @Lions_Baseball on Twitter, @SLU_LionsBaseball on Instagram, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.