HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team exploded offensively in the series opener Friday, wiping out an early deficit on the way to a 10-2 win over UIW in Southland Conference action at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
Both starting pitchers struggled out the gate but Southeastern (16-10, 3-1 SLC) hurler Brennan Stuprich battled through five innings without his best stuff.
 
Stuprich walked the leadoff batter and surrendered a two-run home run to Cardinal third baseman Alec Carr. His team-leading seventh homer of the season came just two batters into the game.
 
The Lions, in turn, pounced on UIW (13-13, 2-2 SLC) starter Kayden Cassidy and knocked him out in the first inning. Cassidy hit Rhett Rosevear with a pitch and then issued back-to-back walks to Tyler Finke and Jake Killingsworth. Shea Thomas tied the game with a two-run single to left field.
 
Cassidy then issued a walk to Connor Manola, loading the bases once again. The left-hander hit Champ Artigues with a pitch, forcing in the go-ahead run, and finally issued a one-out walk to McGwire Turner to plate the fourth run of the inning before exiting in favor of reliever EJ Garcia.
 
SLU rapped out seven hits in the second off Garcia, plating six runs. Thomas, Artigues and Clay Cook all had RBI singles while Turner drove in a pair with the first triple of his Lion career.
 
Seth Higdon, the third UIW pitcher of the game, shut the Lions down the rest of the way but the damage had already been done.
 
Stuprich (3-2) earned the win for Southeastern, allowing two runs in five innings pitched. He surrendered six hits and four walks, striking out two batters. The Lions got scoreless relief from Reid Reynolds (2.0 IP), Lakin Polk (1.0 IP) and Connor Spencer (1.0 IP).
 
Cassidy (1-2) suffered the loss after being charged with four runs while recording just a single out. He walked four and hit a pair of batters while allowing one hit.
 
Finke (3-for-4), Thomas (2-for-5), Artigues (2-for-4) and Cook (2-for-4) picked up multiple hits each while Thomas and Turner drove in three runs apiece for the Lions.
 
UP NEXT
The series continues at 6 p.m. Saturday as part of the annual Super Lion Saturday festival. The pitching matchup features junior right-hander Will Kinzeler (4-0, 2.97) for SLU while the Cardinals will counter with right-hander Isaiah Zavala (3-0, 4.31).
 
An action-packed day precedes the game on campus. SLU softball wraps up its conference series at 12 p.m. against Texas A&M-Commerce at North Oak Park and the football program's Spring Showcase follows at 2 p.m. in Strawberry Stadium.
 
Northshore Broadcasting's radio stations will be live outside the SLU Athletics Ticket Office from 9-11 a.m. with Under the Hood on Tangi 96.5 FM and again with their Tailgate Show from 1-4 p.m. on Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM and The Boss 103.7 FM/1400 AM WFPR.
 
An Easter egg hunt is scheduled following football. Food trucks will be on-site and Barn Hill Preserve returns with a collection of its exotic animals. Fans can also play Baseball Bingo at the game by picking up a card at the marketing table. The first three completed bingo cards go home as winners.
 
The baseball game will be carried on ESPN+. Live stats will be available online at www.LionSports.net and in the Lions Gameday Experience app. Fans can also receive in-game updates on Twitter by following the @LionUpBaseball account.
 
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.
 
RADIO SHOW
The next episode of Inside Southeastern Baseball with Matt Riser, presented by Cretin-Townsend Homes, is slated for Monday at 12 p.m. from Cate Street Seafood Station in downtown Hammond. All previous episodes are available online at www.LionSports.net/podcasts.
 
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.