EDINBURG, Texas – The Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team split a doubleheader with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, winning the opener, 11-6, and dropping the nightcap, 10-1, Saturday in Southland Conference action at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
 
Southeastern (24-17, 13-7 SLC) sits in third place in the conference standings after the weekend series with the Vaqueros (18-21, 12-12 SLC), behind Northwestern State (23-15, 14-8 SLC) and Lamar (20-18, 12-7 SLC). The Demons and Cardinals were rained out Saturday in Beaumont, Texas and are now slated to play a Sunday doubleheader.
 
The Lions return to Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field to host Alcorn State in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday at 6 p.m., opening a four-game homestand with Greek Night.
 
GAME ONE – SLU 11, UTRGV 6
Southeastern jumped on the Vaqueros' starting pitcher for seven runs in the first two innings.
 
Brody Capps delivered RBI singles in both innings. Connor Cuff doubled in a pair of runs in the first and Justin Williams singled in a run in the second as the Lions staked starting pitcher Nik Toups to a big lead early.
 
UTRGV took advantage of a Lion error to score three unearned runs in the third. Neither team would score again until the seventh.
 
Ben Robichaux drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh, forcing in a run. The Vaqueros pulled within a pair of runs, 8-6, in the bottom of the frame.
 
SLU answered with three runs of its own in the eighth. Justin Williams and Peyton Woods drew back-to-back walks to open up the inning. Connor Cuff reached on an infield single to load the bases before Brooks Wright delivered an RBI single and Dane Watts brought in two more with a single down the right-field line.
 
Toups (3-1) earned the win, allowing three runs – all unearned – in 6.0 innings pitched. He scattered four hits and four walks, striking out seven batters. Levi Shaffer earned his second save, working the final 2.1 innings without giving up a run. JC Gutierrez (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs – five earned – in 2.0 innings pitched.
 
Robichaux (3-for-4) and Wright (3-for-4) led the way at the plate as Southeastern pounded out 15 hits in the opening game of the doubleheader. Capps (2-for-6), Cuff (2-for-5) and Williams (2-for-5) also produced multiple hits.
 
GAME TWO – UTRGV 10, SLU 1
The nightcap started out as a pitchers' duel, remaining scoreless into the fourth.
 
Williams and Woods delivered back-to-back singles with one out before Watts plated Williams with a two-out single up the middle. UTRGV tied the game in the bottom of the frame on an unearned run.
 
The momentum shifted in the fifth as the Vaqueros sent 12 batters to the plate, scoring seven runs to take an 8-1 lead. They would tack on two more in the eighth.
 
Harrison Thayer (6-2) earned the win, allowing one run in 6.0 innings pitched. Kike Cienfuegos earned his second save of the season, tossing three scoreless innings to close out the game. Blake Lobell (2-1) suffered the loss, allowing six runs – five earned – in 4.1 innings of work.
 
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.