HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team came up short Wednesday, 5-3, against Tulane in a non-conference contest at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
Southeastern (4-1) jumped out in front early, scoring three runs in the first inning and knocking the Tulane (4-0) starting pitcher out of the game.
 
Ryan Brome drew a leadoff walk before TJ Salvaggio doubled off the wall in right-center field. After Jude Hall drew a walk, Mo Little lined an RBI single through the left side of the infield. Conner O'Neal plated Salvaggio with a sacrifice fly to center field, advancing Hall to third.
 
After the Green Wave pulled starting pitcher Will Clements, Hall scored when reliever Garrett Payne threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt at first base to put SLU up, 3-0.
 
From that point forward, the Lions picked up two hits – a pair of singles by Ryan Brome (2-for-4).
 
Tulane picked up a run in the third on a pair of singles, a fly out and a sacrifice bunt. A passed ball and a throwing error aided the Green Wave in taking the lead with three runs in the sixth. The game's final run came on a groundout in the eighth after a pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases.
 
Carter Benbrook (1-0) picked up the win in relief for Tulane, tossing a pair of scoreless innings, and Michael Lombardi earned his first save of the season by tossing shutout frames in the eighth and ninth. SLU reliever Luke Lirette (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing three runs – one earned – in 0.2 innings of work.
 
The teams combined to use 17 pitchers in a Johnny Wholestaff game, 10 by Southeastern.
 
UP NEXT
Southeastern hosts Alcorn State (0-1) in a three-game, weekend series at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. Games are slated for 1 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. The series opener is a Field Trip Game for local elementary schools and the annual Marid Gras at The Pat celebration. Saturday's game includes Baseball Bingo while Sunday is Military Appreciation Day. Free general admission tickets are available Sunday for active military members who present a valid service ID at the gate.
 
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.