HAMMOND, La. – Offense was at a premium Wednesday, but TJ Salvaggio came through when it mattered most for the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team as his walk-off home run in the 10^th inning at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field propelled the Lions to a 2-1 win over Mississippi Valley State.
 
In an unlikely midweek pitchers' duel, Southeastern (15-10) and the Delta Devils (7-18) carried a scoreless game into the eighth inning.
 
Mississippi Valley broke through first with a two-out RBI single up the middle, scoring a runner from second base. The Lions tied it up in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Bryce Grizzaffi, a senior from Morgan City, Louisiana, drew a one-out walk before advancing to second on a wild pitch. He scored on Tyler Finke's RBI double down the left-field line.
 
Dalton Aspholm stranded the potential go-ahead at second in the ninth, fanning the last two batters. In the 10^th, Hunter O'Toole fanned the side to set up Salvaggio's heroics.
 
The sophomore shortstop from Slidell, Louisiana jumped on the first pitch of the inning, blasting his third home of the season to left field.
 
O'Toole (2-0) earned the win with his scoreless inning of relief, striking out three. James Snipes (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing one run in 1.2 innings of work.
 
A season-high seven pitchers combined to shut down the Delta Devil bats. Starter Aaron Hosack tossed four scoreless to get the game going, striking out four. Southeastern also got scoreless outings from Jack Walker, Hayden Robb, Trey Harrington and Aspholm.
 
Finke's game-tying double was just the second hit of the game for SLU and the first since Grizzaffi led off the first with a bunt single. Valley starting pitcher Azalius Lewis allowed just one run on two hits in 7.1 innings pitched. He walked four and struck out six as he kept the Lion hitters off balance for the majority of the game.
 
UP NEXT
Southeastern returns to Southland Conference action this coming weekend, hosting UIW in a three-game series at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. Games are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
 
The first 200 Southeastern students through the gates Friday will receive a free Hammond, America baseball hat. Saturday is Super Lion Saturday, the spring celebration of Southeastern Athletics.
 
Sunday is Benny Latino Day at the ballpark. The baseball program will honor the newest recipient of its Lion for Life Award. It is also a Military Sunday with all active duty military personnel and veterans receiving free admission (must show Military ID at the ticket window).
 
TICKET & PARKING INFORMATION
Single-game tickets are now on sale. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to minimize ticket lines on game days. Southeastern students are encouraged to contact the ticket office prior to the game to reserve theirs in advance.
 
General admission tickets for most games are $9 for adults and $6 for youth (ages 3-12). Southeastern students, with a university ID, and children under age 2 are admitted for free. Gameday parking is $5 per day for standard vehicles and $25 for RVs.
 
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 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays. The ticket booth at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field opens exactly one hour prior to the scheduled first pitch.

Southeastern uses mobile ticketing as the primary method for distributing tickets purchased online. Tickets will be available via text message or email in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet. 
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics enforces a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. The policy mirrors the safety precautions required for 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 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.