NATCHITOCHES, La. – Adam Guth's pitching performance and the bat of Tristan Welch sparked the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team to a 4-2 win Saturday over Northwestern State in Southland Conference action at Brown-Stroud Field.
 
Guth, a freshman left-hander from Lake Charles, Louisiana, allowed one run and two hits over a career-high 5.2 innings pitched while Tristan Welch blasted a pair of home runs for Southeastern (19-24, 9-8 SLC).
 
Welch kicked off a 3-for-4 day at the plate by leading off the third inning with a line-drive homer down the left-field line.
 
The Lions gave Guth a little more breathing room in the fifth. Welch smacked a one-out single up the middle. Bryce Grizzaffi followed with a single to left-center, sending Welch to third. Evan Keller followed with a sacrifice fly to right field, plating Welch.
 
After allowing a single to the first batter he faced, and walking the third, Guth retired the next 14 batters he faced. A leadoff single in the sixth broke the string and eventually led to a Northwestern State (20-22, 8-9 SLC) run.
 
The teams traded unearned runs in the eighth before Welch's second home run of the game put the Lions back up by a pair in the ninth. The native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who now has eight homers this season, enjoyed his second multi-homer game of the season.
 
Dalton Aspholm worked 2.1 innings in relief, allowing just the unearned run before he handed the ball over to Gage Trahan in the ninth. Trahan worked a scoreless ninth, working out of a bases-loaded jam.
 
Guth (2-1) earned the win, scattering two hits and two walks. He struck out four. Northwestern State starting pitcher Jonathan Harmon (5-5) suffered the loss, allowing three runs – two earned – in 7.1 innings of work. He surrendered five hits and three walks, striking out one.
 
Trahan picked up his second save in as many games, giving him seven this season. The save total ranks third in the Southland. He also tied Jeff Shallenberg (1994), Chris Franklin (2010), Dylan Hills (2013) and Kade Granier (2016) for eighth on the SLU single-season charts.
 
Southeastern sits in fourth place in the conference standings, just two games out of first place.
 
UP NEXT
The series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. The Lions plan to start sophomore right-hander Andrew Landry (2-4, 7.86) in the series finale. Northwestern State is slated to go with sophomore right-hander Drayton Brown (4-4, 3.81). Brown ranks second in the Southland in opponent batting average (.204), fifth in ERA and sixth in both innings pitched (54.1) and strikeouts (49).
 
Fans in the Hammond area can listen to the game broadcast 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 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 of each game will also be available.
 
RADIO SHOW
The next episode of Inside Southeastern Baseball with Matt Riser, presented by Pour House Pizza and Beer Garden, is slated for Monday at 12 p.m. from the restaurant in downtown Hammond. Fans can listen to every show online at www.LionSports.net/ListenLive and via the Lions Gameday Experience, MyTuner Radio or Mixlr apps. The MyTuner Radio app is compatible with the Apple CarPlay software available in most newer automobiles.
 
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 by 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.