HAMMOND, La. –  The Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team tossed its eighth shutout of the season Saturday, downing Lamar, 4-0, in Southland Conference action at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
Southeastern (34-13, 19-7 SLC), which evened up its series with the Cardinals (37-13, 17-9 SLC), is now tied with Iowa for the second-most shutouts this season at the DI level. The win also keeps SLU atop the Southland standings, percentage points ahead of second-place UTRGV (21-9 SLC) and one game ahead of McNeese (18-9 SLC).
 
An early call to the bullpen by the Lions shifted game momentum as Lamar loaded the bases in both the first and second innings, but was unable to push across a run.
 
Junior right-hander Lakin Polk (4-0) came on to pick up the final out of the second and proceeded to roll through 6.1 scoreless innings. The junior from Ponchatoula, Louisiana retired the first seven batters he faced and did not surrender a hit until his final inning of work.
 
Conner O'Neal put the Lions on the board, leading off the fourth with a towering solo home run to right-center field. The leadoff blast was his team-leading 13^th homer of the season, good for the second-most in the Southland.
 
Peyton Woods followed with a hustle double down the first-base line. He scored on Dane Watts' one-out, RBI single to center.
 
Up 2-0, SLU added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. Giovanni Licciardi launched a one-out, solo homer to left. It was the second of the season for the redshirt junior out of Metairie, Louisiana. Watts followed with a bloop double to center, scoring on Logan Walters' RBI single up the middle.
 
Polk, who fanned four in the game, handed the ball over to Brady St. Pierre in the ninth. The freshman from LaPlace, Louisiana struck out the final batter of the game, working out of a bases-loaded jam.
 
Lamar starting pitcher Chris Olivier (6-2) suffered the loss, allowing all four runs in 5.2 innings pitched.
 
Watts (2-for-4) and Woods (2-for-4) contributed a pair of hits each to the Lions' offensive efforts.
 
UP NEXT
The series wraps up Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+. Blake Lobell (5-1, 4.02), a junior right-hander from Holden, Louisiana, earns the start on the mound for Southeastern. Lamar has not announced a starting pitcher for the series finale.
 
Sunday's annual senior ceremony will take place 30 minutes before first pitch. Gates will open early in preparation for the ceremony.
 
In addition to Senior Day, Sunday's game is also Military Appreciation Day. Free general admission tickets to the game are available for active military members who present a valid service ID at the gate.
 
Fans can listen to game broadcasts in the Hammond area on KSLU 90.9 The Lion. In addition, an audio stream is available online at www.LionSports.net/ListenLive and via the Lions Gameday Experience and MyTuner Radio apps. The MyTuner app is compatible with the Apple CarPlay software available in most late-model automobiles.
 
Live stats will be available in the Lions Gameday Experience app and online at www.LionSports.net.
 
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 the 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.