HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana scored five runs in the ninth inning but came up short against Tulane, 15-14, in nonconference action Tuesday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
The Lions (16-17) had already scored five runs in an inning earlier in the night, tying Tulane (22-11), 9-9, in the fifth.
 
Down 15-9 entering the ninth, pinch-hitter Eli Johnson started the late-game rally with a single up the middle. Nathan Pilutti reached on a fielder's choice and a throwing error allowed Johnson to safely advance to second base. After Connor Manola drew a walk to load the bases, Bryce Steckler ripped a two-run double over the head of the left fielder.
 
Designated hitter Preston Faulkner drove home Manola and Steckler with a two-out single to center field. Advancing to second on a wild pitch, Faulkner scored on Kyle Schimpf's single to right field. The game came to a close as Darius Jones was caught attempting to steal second.
 
Earlier in the game, the Green Wave had jumped out to a 7-1 lead with three home runs in the second inning. Southeastern chipped away at the deficit in the bottom of the inning with a two-run single off the bat of Cody Grosse.
 
The Lions answered a Tulane run in the fourth with one of their own and, after a Green Wave run scored in the fifth, Southeastern scored five in the bottom of the inning on big hits by Pilutti (two-run single), Steckler (RBI double) and Grosse (two-run single).
 
Following a scoreless sixth, Tulane's power pushed the Green Wave back out to a six-run lead with a pair of three-run homers in the seventh and eighth.
 
Reliever Robert Price (1-1), the fifth of six pitchers used by Tulane, earned the win. The right-hander worked 2.2 scoreless innings, scattering three hits and striking out one. Southeastern reliever Bryce Tassin (2-2) suffered the loss, coughing up a three-run homer in his lone inning of work.
 
Faulkner, Grosse, Pilutti, Schimpf and Steckler each contributed a pair of hits for the Lions. Grosse (4), Steckler (3), Faulkner (2), Pilutti (2) and Schimpf (2) also drove in multiple runs.
 
In the middle of a 14-game stretch against in-state competition, Southeastern returns to Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field this weekend to host Northwestern State. The conference series against the Demons features Super Lion Saturday and another Local Hero Appreciation game.
 
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.