TROY, Ala. – Southeastern Louisiana split a nonconference doubleheader Saturday at Troy, dropping the first game 8-3 at Riddle-Pace Field before pounding out 16 hits in a 19-4 trouncing of the Trojans.
 
The Lions (3-8) scored first in both games, making the lead hold up over Troy (6-5) in the nightcap. The 19 runs scored in the final game are the most Southeastern has scored since a 21-3 win over Alcorn State (April 25, 2017).
 
Southeastern returns home to host ULM in a pair of nonconference games at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. Game times against the Warhawks are set for 6 p.m. Tuesday and 4 p.m. Wednesday.
 
Both games against ULM are Cane's Challenge contests. If the Lions score five or more runs in either game versus the Warhawks, fans can redeem their game ticket or student coupon at their local participating Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers to receive a free combo with the purchase of another of equal or greater value.
 
GAME ONE – Troy 8, Southeastern 3
Southeastern took an early lead on the strength of a towering home run to right field off the bat of Nathan Pilutti. The solo shot with one out in the second inning was Pilutti's second homer of the season.
 
A fantastic running catch by center fielder Nick Ray in the bottom half of the inning helped Lion starting pitcher Will Warren (0-2) strand a Troy baserunner.
 
Multiple runs were wiped off the board in the third when the crew of umpires ruled Preston Faulkner interfered with the throw on a double-play ball, running inside the baseline. Cody Grosse, who extended his hitting streak to a team-high 10 games with a single, and Brennan Breaud were forced to return to third and second, respectively.
 
Troy tied up the game in the bottom half of the third. With one out, second baseman Donovan Whibbs doubled over the head of Faulkner in left. A balk call on Warren wiped out a fly out, advancing Whibbs to third base.
 
The Trojans took the lead in the fifth. Warren walked the leadoff hitter before surrendering a single through the left side. After hitting a batter to load the bases, the go-ahead run scored as Warren got a double-play ground ball to shortstop.
 
An RBI double off the right-field wall chased Warren from the game and left fielder Rigsby Mosely greeted reliever Jared Biddy with another RBI double off the wall in right to complete the scoring.
 
Biddy and Troy reliever Ryan Fultz quieted the bats over the next couple innings until the Trojans picked up leadoff homer from third baseman Drew Frederic in the eighth. Troy would tack on three more runs before Biddy got out of the inning.
 
Southeastern picked up a couple of runs in the ninth. Bryce Steckler was hit by a pitch leading off the inning and later advanced to second on a wild pitch. Steckler scored on Connor Manola's two-out RBI single up the middle. Manola worked his way around the bases on a wild pitch, passed ball and balk.
 
Grant Stewart (1-1), the Trojan starting pitcher, picked up the win. The left-hander allowed one run on two hits, two hit batters and three walks. He struck out three.
 
Warren suffered the loss, allowing four runs on four hits and one walk. The sophomore right-hander tied a career high with five strikeouts. Biddy struck out a career-high six batters in his 3.1 innings of relief.
 
GAME TWO – Southeastern 19, Troy 4
The Lions wasted little time taking the lead in the nightcap.
 
Steckler drew a one-out walk and then stole second base. He scored on Preston Faulkner's two-out single to left field.
 
Southeastern added to its lead in the third, batting around. Manola was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. Grosse followed with a single through the right side, extending his hitting streak to 11 games and advancing Manola to second. After Steckler advanced both runners with a sac bunt, Kyle Schimpf drove both home with a single through the right side.
 
After Faulkner walked, Breaud singled through the right side to drive in Schimpf. Troy starting pitcher Max Newton then hit Nathan Pilutti with a pitch before yielding the ball to reliever Zack Moore. The new left-hander walked Trey Shaffer the first batter he faced, to force in the Lions' fourth and final run of the inning.
 
A double, single and wild pitch to open up the bottom of the inning set the Trojans up to score two off Carlisle Koestler (2-0) on a pair of ground outs.
 
The Lions responded, just as Troy did, scoring a pair in the fourth to go up 7-2. Steckler ripped a one-out single to center before Moore and reliever Taylor Pridgen combined to walk four consecutive batters.
 
Southeastern extended its lead to double digits with five in the fifth, tacking on one more in the sixth for a 13-2 advantage. Freshman Zane Zeppuhar was hit by a pitch in his first collegiate plate appearance, plating the run in the sixth. He was the sixth hit batter of the game, breaking the Troy single-game record.
 
The Lions tacked on two runs in the seventh and four more in the ninth.
 
Zeppuhar picked up the first hit of his career, a single through the right side, in the eighth.
 
Faulkner (3-for-4), Grosse (2-for-5), Trey Harrington (2-for-6), Schimpf (2-for-3) and Steckler (2-for-3) all turned in multihit performances at the plate.
 
Koestler earned the win, allowing three runs in six innings of work. The redshirt senior from Vicksburg, Mississippi, scattered four hits, walked one and struck out two batters. Max Newton, the first of six Trojan pitchers in the game, was tagged with the loss.
 
INSIDE SOUTHEASTERN BASEBALL WITH MATT RISER
A weekly 60-minute radio show, Inside Southeastern Baseball with Matt Riser airs Mondays at noon, during the season, from Blackened Brew in downtown Hammond.
 
Riser joins host Allen Waddell at lunchtime to discuss the latest in Southeastern baseball and will be joined each week by select Lion players. Blackened Brew is located at 112 W. Thomas St.
 
The show airs on the flagship station of the Southeastern Sports Radio Network, KSLU 90.9 FM, online at www.LionSports.net/listenlive and via the Lions Gameday Experience, Radio FX and TuneIn Radio apps. A live video stream of the show is also available via Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/sluathletics.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Single-game tickets can be purchased online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets or by contacting the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Fridays.

General Admission tickets for Lion home games are $9 for adults and $6 for children (ages 3-12). Southeastern students are admitted free with a valid university ID card.
 
The ticket booth at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field opens exactly one hour before first pitch.

CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of the 2018 fall semester. The policy mirrors safety precautions taken upon entrance to professional and collegiate sporting venues throughout the country. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/Clear.
 
LIONS GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE APP
The new Lions Gameday Experience app puts audio, stats, video, social media and more in the hands of fans. Those in attendance can also check in to earn reward points redeemable for Southeastern-related prizes. Available for both Android and iOS devices, it can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.
 
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.
 
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 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lions Baseball, follow @LionUpBaseball or @MattRiser17 on Twitter,  @LionUpBaseball on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.