Sacred Heart tops Lions with gritty comeback effort

BATON ROUGE, La. – Sacred Heart scored three runs in the sixth inning Friday to take the lead, rallying for the second time in the game to defeat Southeastern Louisiana, 5-3, at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

After tying the game, 3-3, on Austin Markmann’s single to center, right fielder Dan Schock followed with a two-run home run to right-center field to give Sacred Heart (2-2) its second lead of the game, 5-3.

Southeastern (6-4) wiped out an early Pioneer lead on Drew Avans solo homer to right field leading off the second inning.

Right fielder Mike Taylor, a junior from Tampa, Florida, put the Lions up 2-1 in the third, knocking an RBI double to left field to drive in Cody Grosse.

Sacred Heart tied the game in the fourth with an unearned run, but the Lions went back on top, 3-2, in the fifth.

Grosse singled to right leading off the inning, advancing to second on a ground out. He scored on Taylor’s RBI single through the right side.

Southeastern stranded five runners (four walks, one HBP) in the final three innings, but failed to muster a hit off Pioneer reliever Jackson Aldam.

Both starting pitchers labored throughout their six innings with runners on base. Sacred Heart’s leadoff hitter reached in five of Josh Green’s six innings, while the Lions’ leadoff hitter reached in in four of the six innings worked by Sacred Heart’s Brent Teller.

Teller (2-0) earned the win. The right-hander allowed three runs on eight hits and three walks, striking out six in six innings. Green (2-1) suffered the loss, allowing all five runs (four earned) in six innings. He did not walk or strike out a batter.

Aldam earned his first save of the season, working three scoreless to close out the game.

Grosse (2-for-4) and Taylor (2-for-4) led Southeastern at the plate.

Evan Hileman worked two scoreless innings in relief and Payton Robinson struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth.

Saturday the Lions square off against Toledo (2-5) at 1 p.m. at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. Junior righty Mason Knopp (0-1, 5.91) gets the starting nod versus Rocket sophomore right-hander Layne Schnitz-Paxton (0-1, 7.56).

There is no local radio coverage. Links for live stats are available on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.

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Sacred Heart 5, Southeastern 3
(Mar 02, 2018 at Baton Rouge, La.)
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Sacred Heart…….. 100 103 000 – 5 10 0 (2-2)
Southeastern…….. 011 010 000 – 3 8 2 (6-4)
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Pitchers: Sacred Heart – Teller, Brent; Aldam, Jackson (7) and Doyle, Cody. Southeastern – Green, Josh; Hileman, Evan (7); Robinson, Payton (9) and Wasinger, Daniel.

Win-Teller, Brent (2-0) Save-Aldam, Jackson (1) Loss-Green, Josh (2-1) T-2:40 A-387
HR SHU – Schock, Dan (2).
HR SLU – Avans, Drew (2).
Weather: 70 degrees, sunny