HAMMOND, La. – Designated hitter Jake Killingsworth launched a grand slam in the first inning Tuesday and the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team held on to defeat Tulane, 8-7, in non-conference action at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
Killingsworth's blast staked Southeastern (12-6) to a 5-0 lead it never surrendered despite a four home-run attack by the Green Wave (10-7).
 
Justin Williams led off the bottom of the first with a double to right-center field. After striking out the next two hitters, Tulane starting pitcher Jake Saum hit Ryan Brome with a pitch and then issued back-to-back walks to TJ Salvaggio and Grey Rowlett to force in the first run of the game. Killingsworth followed with his first homer of the season.
 
The Green Wave scored two runs in both the second and fourth innings, pulling within a run. SLU answered in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Killingsworth led off with a single to left. Advancing to second on a passed ball, he scored on William's two-out RBI single up the middle.
 
Following a Tulane run in the sixth, the Lions added two of their own in the bottom of the inning. Christian Garcia and Williams produced back-to-back singles with one out. They would both come home to score on Shea Thomas' two-out single up the middle.
 
The Green Wave closed within a run in the ninth with a pair of solo home runs, but Jackson Rodriguez shut the door to earn his third save of the season.
 
SLU reliever Lakin Polk (4-0) earned the win, allowing one run in 2.2 innings pitched. He walked one and struck out six batters. Rodriguez worked the final 2.1 innings to earn the save. Saum (0-3) suffered the loss, allowing five runs – all earned – in his one-inning stint.
 
Williams (3-for-5) and Killingsworth (2-for-4) turned in multi-hit performances at the plate for Southeastern. The grand slam was the second home run of Killingsworth's SLU career. Both have come with the bases loaded.
 
UP NEXT
Southeastern hosts Saint Louis (15-1) in a non-conference series this weekend. Games are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
A pair of weekly promotions are on tap for the series. This season, Saturday games will feature Baseball Bingo and free general admission tickets are available each Sunday home game for active military members by presenting a valid service ID at the gate.
 
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 before the game to reserve theirs in advance.
 
General admission tickets for most games are $11 for adults and $8 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 before 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.
 
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
Fans are encouraged to follow the Southeastern Baseball social media accounts (@LionUpBaseball) on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to stay engaged with the program.
 
The latest updates are also available at www.LionSports.net and the Lions Gameday Experience app. Available for both Android and iOS devices, the Gameday app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.