HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team squandered a five-run lead Friday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field, dropping the opening game of a Southland Conference series, 7-6, to McNeese.
 
Southeastern (17-17, 3-7 SLC) starting pitcher Will Kinzeler handed a 5-0 lead over in the sixth inning and watched as the Cowboys (23-11, 5-5 SLC) rallied against the same bullpen that was lights out in Wednesday's 5-4 win over No. 28-ranked UL Lafayette.
 
Pierce Leavengood (2-4) and Connor Manola (2-for-5) both homered for the Lions, with Manola's putting SLU back on top in the bottom of the eighth after McNeese had rallied to tie the game in the top of the inning.
 
After going up 5-0 in the fourth, Southeastern had a chance to knock Cowboy starting pitcher Grant Rogers out of the game but the nation's wins leaders bounced back to retire the next 11 batters and give McNeese the opportunity to get back in the game.
 
Over the course of the sixth, seventh and eighth, the Cowboys proceeded to tie the game, 5-5, before Manola blasted his third homer of the season.
 
Entering the ninth up, 6-5, SLU failed to hold the lead for the second time in as many innings. A throwing error by second baseman Ethan Moore, followed by a walk to the cleanup hitter, put a pair aboard. Advancing on a fly ball and a stolen base, the runners were both in scoring position for a two-out double off the bat of Braden Duhon that just found its way over the head of third baseman Shea Thomas and inside the left-field line.
 
Southeastern put a pair on in the ninth, but Manola grounded into a game-ending double play.
 
Christian Vega (3-2) earned the win in relief, working 0.2 scoreless innings. Ty Abraham earned his third save of the season, working out of the jam in the ninth. Lance Lauve (2-1) suffered the loss, allowing three runs – one earned – in 2.1 innings of relief work.
 
UP NEXT
The series continues Saturday at 6 p.m. and is slated for 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.
 
Burrell Jones (3-0, 2.10) is scheduled to get the start on the mound for McNeese. The Lions will counter with right-hander Andrew Landry (2-5, 3.94), a junior from Slidell, Louisiana.
 
Fans can play Baseball Bingo at Saturday's game by picking up a card at the marketing table. The first three completed bingo cards go home as winners.
 
A pregame reunion for all baseball alumni and staff has been moved to Sunday with on-field recognition prior to the first pitch. Baseball alums interested in attending should RSVP with Allie Crain in the LAA office at allie.crain@southeastern.edu.
 
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.