HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana University right-hander Brady St. Pierre held Stephen F. Austin to one hit through seven innings of shutout baseball Friday as SLU defeated the Lumberjacks, 8-1, in a battle of first-place teams in Southland Conference action at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
The sophomore from LaPlace, Louisiana struck out a career-high eight batters, retiring 12 consecutive SFA (11-8, 4-3 SLC) hitters following a one-out single that dropped in down the left-field line in the first inning.
 
Meanwhile, the Southeastern (10-8, 3-1 SLC) bats provided plenty of offensive support.
 
A two-run home run by left fielder Justin Williams, his first of the season, put the Lions up 2-0 in the second. A pair of two-out hits by Ben Robichaux and Dane Watts later that inning extended the lead to 3-0 over the Lumberjacks.
 
Robichaux and Watts produced back-to-back hits once again in the fourth, scoring on Connor Cuff's two-out triple down the right-field line.
 
An RBI groundout in the fifth and a two-out, two-run homer off the bat of Robichaux in the seventh rounded out the Lions' support.
 
SFA picked up its lone run on a groundout in the eighth after a leadoff triple dropped just inside the right-field line.
 
St. Pierre (2-2) earned the win, logging a career-high seven innings of work. Lumberjack starting pitcher Gabriel LeBlanc, who entered the game ranked third in the league in ERA, suffered the loss after allowing five runs – all earned – in 4.0 innings pitched.
 
Triston Todorowski tossed the final two innings for SLU, allowing one run and striking out three.
 
Robichaux (3-for-5), Cuff (2-for-4), Watts (2-for-4), Williams (2-for-4) and Woods (2-for-4) contributed multiple hits to the Lions' offensive attack.
 
UP NEXT
The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN+. Fans will be able to play baseball bingo during Saturday's contest, with the first 25 winners claiming a prize.
 
All of the baseball action this weekend can be heard on KSLU 90.9 The Lion, online at either www.LionSports.net/listenlive or www.LionUpRadio.org, via the following apps – Lions Gameday Experience, Live365, iHeart, Audacy, TuneIn and MyTuner Radio - or on Alexa speakers (skill must be enabled first). All you have to say is, "Alexa, play K.S.L.U."
 
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.