HAMMOND, La. – A two-run home run in the seventh inning put UL Lafayette in front to stay Tuesday on the way to a 6-4, comeback win over the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team in non-conference action at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns (12-12) swept the season series from Southeastern (8-17), handing the Lions their eighth consecutive loss.
 
SLU jumped out in front early with three runs in the bottom of the first. After Adam Guth retired the side in the top of the inning, Tyler Finke kept the inning alive with a two-out single to left field.
 
After stealing second base, Finke scored from second on Preston Faulkner's RBI single to center. Following a walk to Shea Thomas, designated hitter Champ Artigues pulled a double to right field. Both Faulkner and Thomas scored, putting the Lions up, 3-0.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns tied the game up in the third with a three-run homer off reliever Alex Potter.
 
Southeastern regained the lead in the sixth, 4-3, on Faulkner's one-out solo home run to deep left-center. It was Faulkner's sixth homer of the season and 26^th of his career, tying him for eighth on Southeastern's all-time home run list with Scott Hebert and Kevin Millican.
 
Following a solo homer Sunday against Nicholls, Faulkner has now launched home runs in back-to-back games for the second time this season. He previously accomplished the feat March 15-18 in games against No. 1-ranked Ole Miss and Samford.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns answered almost immediately, taking a 5-4 lead with a two-run homer off reliever Brock Batty.
 
A single run in the ninth off left-hander Noah Smith added to the Lions' deficit.
 
Drew Shifflet (2-1) earned the win, picking up the final two outs of the sixth while stranding a pair of runners. Batty (0-1), the sixth of nine pitchers used by SLU in the game, suffered the loss. Left-hander Chipper Menard worked a scoreless ninth to earn his second save of the season.
 
Faulkner and Champ Artigues both went 2-for-4 at the plate for Southeastern, driving in a pair of runs each.
 
Rhett Rosevear, who entered the day leading the nation in HBPs, was hit by a pitch in his final plate appearance. He has now been hit by a pitch 18 times this season and 33 times in his career, moving him into a tie for ninth place on SLU's all-time list with Trey Martin and into a tie for sixth place on the program's single-season list with Jameson Fisher (2014).
 
The eight consecutive losses are the most for Southeastern since a nine-game losing streak, April 1-17, 1995. Three of those games during the school-record streak were later forfeited back to the Lions by Florida Atlantic because of an ineligible player.
 
UP NEXT
Southeastern embarks on another four-game road trip. This weekend SLU will travel to San Antonio, Texas for a three-game Southland Conference series at UIW. Game times are 6:30 p.m. Friday, 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
 
The Lions wrap up the trip, April 5, in Mobile, Alabama with a non-conference contest at South Alabama. Game time at Stanky Field is 6:30 p.m.
 
LIONS GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE APP
The 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 or by following the link www.LionSports.net/App.
 
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.