HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana dropped a back-and-forth affair to UL Lafayette, 9-8, Wednesday in nonconference action at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
Facing each other for the second time in as many days, the Lions (14-15) and UL Lafayette (15-16) traded off the lead four times in the game.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a two-out single through the left side. Lion starting pitcher Nick Flesher fanned the final batter of the inning and then struck out the side in the third.
 
Southeastern took its first lead in the bottom of the third. Cody Grosse was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and sophomore Preston Faulkner followed with his fourth home run of the season.
 
UL Lafayette took the lead back in the fourth. Left fielder Todd Lott led off the inning with a single and then stole second base. Flesher struck out the next two batters, but right fielder Orynn Veillon singled to left to plate Lott with the tying run. Designated hitter Tremaine Spears, who drove in the game's first run, greeted Southeastern reliever Kade Granier with a two-run home run to right-center field.
 
Down, 4-2, the Lions started a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning. Evan Pace ripped a double inside the bag at third. After Bryce Steckler worked a walk, Grosse drove a two-run single to right-center. As Faulkner worked a walk off UL Lafayette starting pitcher Dalton Horton, Grosse advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch. Faulkner advanced to second on a wild pitch by reliever Blake Schultz and then scored on Kyle Schimpf's RBI single to left field.
 
Southeastern's 6-4 lead did not last long as the Ragin' Cajuns struck for five runs in the sixth, sending 11 batters to the plate against relievers Bryce Tassin and Peyton Lee.
 
Pace started another rally in the eighth, drawing a one-out walk off reliever Michael Leaumont. Steckler followed with an RBI triple to left-center field. Grosse then greeted reliever Brandon Young with an RBI single to center, but that was all the Lions could muster.
 
Schultz (3-1) earned the win, working 3.1 scoreless innings in relief. Gunner Leger picked up his second save, fanning three over the final 1.1 innings to close it out. Tassin (2-1) suffered the loss, allowing five runs, four earned, in 1.2 innings pitched.
 
Brennan Breaud (2-for-5) and Grosse (2-for-4) each enjoyed a multihit night for the Lions.
 
Southeastern returns to action this weekend, facing New Orleans in a three-game Southland Conference series on the New Orleans lakefront. Games in the annual Pontchartrain Bowl rivalry series are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at Maestri Field.
 
The New Orleans chapter of the Southeastern Alumni Association is sponsoring a tailgate before Sunday's game. Fans can register for the tailgate and tickets to Sunday's game at www.LionSports.net/NOLAtailgate.
 
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. The ticket booth at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field opens exactly one hour before first pitch.

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.
 
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.