HAMMOND, La. – A three-run home run by Kent State second baseman Grady Mee thwarted a comeback attempt by the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team Sunday in a 14-7 loss to the Golden Flashes at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
Kent State (3-0), the defending Mid-American Conference champions, won all three games in the weekend series with Southeastern (0-3), the defending Southland Conference champions.
 
The game started as a pitcher's duel, with Lion starting pitcher Blake Lobell fanning five of the first 10 batters he faced.
 
SLU jumped out in front first courtesy of a third-inning home run off the bat of first baseman Brody Capps. The solo homer was his first as a Lion.
 
The Golden Flashes tied the game in the fourth on a solo homer by right fielder Sawyer Solitaria. It was the third of the series for the sophomore.
 
Southeastern jumped right back in front in the bottom of the inning. A one-out single by Lakin Polk, his second of three hits in the game, sparked a three-run frame.
 
A pair of Lion errors in the fifth changed the momentum and Kent State took advantage on the way to scoring six runs for a 7-4 lead.
 
Shortstop Connor Cuff pulled Southeastern within two in the sixth, pulling an RBI double into the gap in right-center field.
 
Two more errors in the seventh helped the Golden Flashes extend their lead to 11-5.
 
RBI groundouts by Alex Perry and Dane Watts brought SLU within four runs in the eighth, but Mee's three-run blast in the ninth helped shift what momentum the Lions were building.
 
Kent State reliever Jordan Kolenda (1-0) earned the win, allowing one run in 1.1 innings pitched. He walked one and struck out one. In his second appearance of the series, Brody Krzysiak earned the save. He struck out four in 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. It was his first save of the season. Freshman right-hander Logan Freche (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing four runs – all unearned – in 0.2 innings of work.
 
Cuff (3-for-4), Polk (3-for-5) and Peyton Woods (2-for-4) led the way for a Southeastern offense that generated 12 hits in the game.
 
UP NEXT
Southeastern continues its season-opening eight-game homestand Tuesday, hosting preseason No. 20-ranked Southern Miss on Mardi Gras. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. The Lions will be handing out king cake to the fans in attendance, while supplies last.
 
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.