HAMMOND, La. – The back-to-back Southland Conference regular-season champion Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team staved off elimination Saturday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field, defeating No. 8-seeded HCU, 8-4, and No. 5-seeded McNeese, 13-12, in the Hammond Bracket, presented by North Oaks Health, of the Southland Conference Baseball Tournament.
No. 1 seed Southeastern (34-20, 19-9 SLC) defeated HCU (24-29, 13-17 SLC) to begin Saturday's slate of games. SLU proceeded to beat McNeese (30-23, 16-14 SLC) in extra innings to force the tournament bracket's if-necessary game.
The win sets up a final matchup against the Cowboys on ESPN+, Sunday at 1 p.m. at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Fans can listen to all the baseball action locally on KSLU 90.9 The Lion or worldwide 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."
GAME 5: SLU 8, HCU 4
After
Dane Watts doubled to right-center to begin the bottom of the third, a hit-by-pitch put
Blaise Priester on first. Also giving SLU a 3-0 lead,
Connor Cuff's 15
th home run of the season delivered the Lions their 86
th home run in 2026, tying the single-season program record set in 2024.
After
Ben Robichaux doubled to start the fourth,
Mo Little tripled to right center to drive in SLU's fourth run, 4-0. Watts collected an RBI with a single to send Little home, 5-0.
The Huskies scored two runs in the sixth inning to get on the board, 5-2. The Lions tacked on two more runs of their own after that. Priester broke the single-season home run record with a solo homer on Southeastern's 87
th home run of 2026 in the bottom of the eighth.
The Lions closed out the game in the ninth to advance to Game 6 of the Hammond Bracket presented by North Oaks Health.
Truitt Webb (6-2) earned the win with a strong start for the Lions on Saturday. The sophomore kept the Huskies hitless until the fifth inning. Webb picked up four strikeouts in seven innings, only allowing two runs to HCU. The Huskies' Jacob Cyr (0-2) received the loss.
Cuff (3-for-4) hit two more doubles against HCU to give him six doubles and 10 runs batted in in the tournament.
Alex Perry (2-for-4), Robichaux (2-for-4), and Watts (2-for-4) also slashed multiple hits.
GAME 6: SLU 13, McNeese 12 (11 innings)
The Lions' offense erupted in the first inning of Game 6. Robichaux cracked a leadoff homer to start the contest, 1-0. A
Brody Capps single, a hit by pitch, and a
Peyton Woods walk loaded the bases.
Justin Williams doubled to clear the bags and give the Lions a four-run lead. With the Cowboys rattled, an error allowed Williams to touch home, 5-0.
McNeese gathered itself in the bottom of the inning, plating three runs, 5-3. In the second, Woods doubled to score Cuff, 6-3.
SLU added two more runs in the fifth. Priester's double put him in scoring position, then Capps' 13
th home run of the year put the Lions ahead by five. In the sixth, Perry hit a solo shot to left field for his 16
th long ball of 2026, 9-3. McNeese added a home run of its own in the bottom of the inning, 9-4.
After Robichaux led off the seventh with a hit by pitch, Capps singled to put two runners on. Woods singled, once again, to score both runners, 11-4. The Cowboys made things interesting with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, 11-7.
After a scoreless eighth inning for SLU, McNeese put together four runs to tie the game, heading into the top of the ninth, 11-11.
Both teams went scoreless in the ninth and 10
th innings, sending the game to the 11
th. In the top of the inning, Capps walked with one out on the board. With two outs on the board, Southland Conference Hitter of the Year Woods blasted a no-doubt home run to give the Lions a lead, 13-11.
After a solo home run by the Cowboys to lead off the 11
th, 13-12, the Lions secured the win to force an if-necessary Game 7 against McNeese.
Luke Lirette (3-2) earned the clutch win for the Lions, pitching the final three innings. The senior tallied four strikeouts, allowing one run. McNeese's Parker Morgan (1-1) was given the loss.
Capps (4-for-6), Woods (4-for-6), and Perry (2-for-6) all batted multiple hits in the contest against the Cowboys. Capps' four hits were a season-high, while Woods' four hits were a career-high mark.
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 on both Android and iOS, the Gameday app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.
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