Lions grind out extra-inning win, even series with Sam Houston State

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Southeastern Louisiana scored a pair of runs in the 11th inning off Sam Houston State closer Dakota Mills, grinding out a 6-4 win Saturday over the first-place Bearkats at Don Sanders Stadium.

With the win, Southeastern (31-18, 18-8 Southland) evens the series at one game apiece and pulls back within 2.5 games of Sam Houston (33-14, 19-4 Southland). The Lions, who have already clinched their spot in the upcoming conference tournament, sit in second place in the Southland standings.

Center fielder Bryce Steckler, a junior from Redmond, Washington, led off the 11th with a single through the left side and advanced to third on Cody Grosse’s hit-and-run single to center field. Grosse stole second, picking up his second steal of the game and 18th this season, putting a pair in scoring position with no outs.

Right fielder Nathan Pilutti, a junior from Destrehan, Louisiana, lofted a sacrifice fly to center, allowing both runners to advance and chasing Mills from the game. Drew Avans greeted reliever Dominic Robinson with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Grosse from third.

The six runs scored by the Lions are the most they have scored against Sam Houston in the last 21 games, dating back to a 6-5 win on May 9, 2010, that completed a series sweep of the Bearkats.

Tied since the fifth, each team had multiple chances to take the lead.

Southeastern struck out twice with the bases loaded in the seventh, put a pair on with one out in the eighth and stranded both, and struck out twice with runners at second and third in the 10th inning. The Bearkats left a pair on in the seventh, stranded the potential go-ahead run at second in both the eighth and ninth, and had the tying runs on base when the game ended.

The Lions jumped out in front early, but Sam Houston put together a mid-game rally off Southland ERA leader Carlisle Koestler.

After scoring a pair in the first, the Lions added a run in the second. Evan Pace, a junior from Zachary, Louisiana, pulled a one-out double down the left-field line. He scored on Steckler’s first hit of the game, an RBI single up the middle.

Sam Houston got on the scoreboard in the fourth when second baseman Chase Cryer drove in Hunter Hearn with a two-out double to right-center field, but the Lions responded with a run of their own in the top of the fifth.

Grosse, Pilutti and Avans strung together back-to-back-to-back singles with two out to put Southeastern back up by three, 4-1.

Koestler tried to work around a runner at third in the bottom half of the inning, the result of a pair of errors on a single play, but the Bearkats put together a series of two-out hits to tie the game.

Neither starting pitcher earned a decision. Both allowed four runs in 6.1 innings and did not walk a batter. Koestler surrendered eight hits and fanned four. Sam Houston’s Seth Ballew coughed up nine hits and struck out three batters.

Peyton Lee (2-0) earned the win after tossing 2.1 scoreless innings in relief. He retired seven of the eight hitters he faced, striking out three. Jared Biddy earned his third save, stranding a pair of runners in the 11th.

Mills (2-1), the Southland’s saves leader, was tagged with his first loss of the season.

Grosse (4-for-5), one of five Lions to turn in a multi-hit performance, enjoyed his second four-hit game in a two-week span. Avans (2-for-4), Pace (2-for-5), Pilutti (2-for-4) and Steckler (2-for-4) each provided multiple hits for Southeastern.

The series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. Southeastern will counter Bearkat sophomore right-hander Hayden Wesneski (4-2, 3.47) in the series finale with junior right-hander Corey Gaconi (4-1, 4.45).

Sunday’s game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU 90.9 FM, and worldwide online or through either the Radio FX or TuneIn apps. Fans can also keep up with all the action through live statistics or by following @SLUathletics on Twitter. Links to audio and stats are available on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.

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. S Club members also gain membership in the Diamond Club.

All membership fees and donations to both the Diamond Club and 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.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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Southeastern 6, Sam Houston State 4
(May 05, 2018 at Huntsville, Texas)
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Southeastern…………. 210 010 000 02 – 6 15 2 (31-18, 18-8 SLC)
Sam Houston State… 000 130 000 00 – 4 12 0 (33-14, 19-4 SLC)
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Pitchers: Southeastern – Koestler, Carlisle; Granier, Kade (7); Robinson, Payton (8); Lee, Peyton (8); Biddy, Jared (11) and Pace, Evan. Sam Houston State – Ballew, Seth; Ausley, Landon (7); Demco, Brad (7); Gossett, Riley (8); Mills, Dakota (9); Robinson, Dominic (11) and Cannon, Jordan.

Win-Lee, Peyton (2-0) Save-Biddy, Jared (3) Loss-Mills, Dakota (2-1) T-3:34 A-1313
Weather: Sunny, 80 deg, NNW 7mph
Ausley, L. faced 1 batter in the 7th.