CONWAY, Ark. – Unable to get its running game in gear, Southeastern Louisiana instead blasted a season-high four home runs Saturday en route to a 10-6 Southland Conference victory over Central Arkansas at Bear Stadium.
 
Southeastern (33-19, 20-9 Southland) split the series, keeping the Bears (31-19, 17-9 Southland) in third place. The Lions remain in second, 1.5 games behind first-place Sam Houston State and 1.5 games up on Central Arkansas.
 
Similar to the series opener, the Bears jumped out in front early only to watch Southeastern claw back in front and then surrender the lead.
 
Central Arkansas touched Lion starting pitcher Carlisle Koestler for four singles in the second inning, taking a 3-0 lead.
 
Southeastern started chipping away at the Bears' lead immediately.
 
Cody Grosse led off the third with a single to left-center field, advancing to second base on Drew Avans' one-out single to right. Kyle Schimpf followed with an RBI single through the right side, plating Grosse with the Lions' first run.
 
Catcher Evan Pace, a junior from Zachary, Louisiana, blasted the first home run of the game, a solo shot just to the left of center field, with one out in the fourth. Pace's second homer of the season pulled the Lions within a run, 3-2.
 
In the fifth, Grosse once again led off with a single. He advanced to third on Avans' one-out double off the center-field wall, putting a pair in scoring position. After a trip to the mound by Central Arkansas' pitching coach, Bears' starting pitcher Cody Davenport uncorked a wild pitch. Grosse scored to tie the game. The throw back to Davenport from catcher William Hancock rolled down the first-base line, allowing Avans to also score on the play.
 
The lead was short-lived. Bears' left fielder Hunter Strong blasted a two-run homer to right off Koestler with one out in the bottom of the inning, putting Central Arkansas back on top, 5-4.
 
Down, but not out, the Lions tied it back up in the sixth. Trenon Trosclair pulled a two-out, solo homer off the left-field foul pole, knotting up the score, 5-5. It was his second home run of the season.
 
Southeastern regained the lead in the seventh, scoring for the fifth consecutive inning.
 
Avans chased Davenport from the game with a one-out single. After recording an out, reliever Ross Rogers surrendered the Lions third home run of the game, a two-run blast off the bat of Mike Taylor that landed in the left-field parking lot. It was also Taylor's second homer of the season.
 
Strong pulled the Bears back within a run, 7-6, in the bottom of the inning with his second home run of the game. A solo shot just to the right of center, it was his fifth of the season.
 
Avans added some important insurance runs in the ninth, blasting the Lions' final home run. The two-run shot to right-center was his ninth of the season, tying him for the conference lead. Southeastern's final run of the game came on a suicide squeeze, with Pace laying down the bunt to score Schimpf.
 
Reliever Bryce Tassin (2-1) earned the win, allowing one run in three innings of work. Kade Granier earned his second save of the season, closing out the game with 1.1 scoreless innings.
 
Davenport (5-3) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on 11 hits in 6.1 innings.
 
Avans (4-for-4), Schimpf (3-for-4), Grosse (2-for-5) and Taylor (2-for-4) each turned in a multi-hit effort as the Lions pounded out 15 hits, reaching double digits for the fourth consecutive game.
 
The series concludes Sunday with the deciding game at 1 p.m. Southeastern will send junior right-hander Corey Gaconi (5-1, 3.82) to the mound. Central Arkansas altered its weekend rotation and has yet to announce a starting pitcher for the series finale.
 
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 live statistics, streaming video or by following @SLUathletics on Twitter. Links to audio, video and stats are available on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
 
DIAMOND CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the baseball program are encouraged to join the Diamond Club. Lion baseball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners. S Club members also gain membership in the Diamond Club.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Diamond Club and S Club (baseball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern baseball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091.
 
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.