HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team fell, 8-6, Friday to UIW in Southland Conference action at Sullivan Field despite producing a season-high 14 base hits.
 
Southeastern (8-18, 0-4 SLC) built a 6-1 lead heading to the bottom of the sixth, scoring in four consecutive innings.
 
Down a run after two innings, the Lions tied the score in the third. Christian Garcia led off the inning with a triple inside the first-base bag. Evan Keller followed with an RBI single.
 
In the fourth, Preston Faulkner led off with a walk and scored one batter later when Shea Thomas doubled into the right-center field gap.
 
UIW (12-11) starting pitcher Michael Garza issued back-to-back walks to Garcia and Keller to open up the fifth. They both scored on Tyler Finke's one-out single to left.
 
SLU padded its lead with two more runs in the sixth. Tristan Welch, who turned in Southeastern's first four-hit game of the season, singled to center leading off the inning. After stealing second base, he scored on Bruce Grizzaffi's RBI double to left-center field. Grizzaffi scored two batters later on Keller's RBI single up the middle.
 
The Cardinals' offense came to life in the bottom of the inning with a two-out solo home run to right off SLU starting pitcher Will Kinzeler. Three more runs, including a two-run homer, forced the Lions to the bullpen. Reliever Daniel Dugas struck out the only batter he faced to end the inning, preserving a one-run lead for Southeastern.
 
Three more runs in the eighth against the Lions bullpen, however, put UIW back on top to stay.
 
Welch tripled with two outs in the ninth, momentarily keeping the game alive. Ultimately, he was stranded at third as the game ended on a called third strike.
 
Cardinal reliever Steve Hayward (1-1) earned the win, tossing a scoreless eighth inning and Chandler David picked up his fifth save of the season with a scoreless ninth. Andrew Landry (1-3) suffered the loss, allowing three runs in 0.1 innings pitched.
 
The Lions tied a season-high with a pair of triples and six stolen bases in the game.
 
Southeastern tied a program record with its ninth-straight loss, a feat that last happened during the 1995 season.
 
UP NEXT
The series continues Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Freshman left-hander Adam Guth (1-1, 4.60) draws the Lions' starting assignment opposite UIW junior right-hander Isaiah Zavala (1-3, 9.41).
 
Fans in the Hammond area can also listen to the entire series on the flagship station of the Southeastern Sports Radio Network – KSLU 90.9 FM – in addition to online at www.LionSports.net/ListenLive and via both the Lions Gameday Experience, Mixlr and MyTuner Radio apps. The MyTuner app is compatible with the Apple CarPlay software available in most late model automobiles. Fans should search for SLU Athletics (Mixlr) or Southeastern Sports Radio Network (MyTuner).
 
A video stream, courtesy of UIW, will be available.
 
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.