Southeastern Louisiana defeats No. 19-ranked Southern Miss

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – In a game that featured a combined 14 pitching changes, Southeastern Louisiana held Southern Miss to three hits on its way to defeating the No. 19-ranked Golden Eagles, 5-3, Wednesday at Pete Taylor Park.

Offense was at a premium as both teams took a Johnny Wholestaff approach to the game, with no pitcher working longer than two innings. Both openers retired the side in order in the first inning.

Southeastern (26-15) struck the initial blow, picking up three runs in the third. Champ Artigues lined an opposite-field single to left leading off the inning. Evan Keller followed with a bloop single down the right-field line and Tyler Finke bunted for a base hit, loading the bases with no outs.

With two outs, Artigues scored from third on a wild pitch. Jacob Burke followed with a single up the middle, driving home Keller and Finke for a 3-0 lead.

The Lions added another run in the fifth. Finke led off the inning with a double to left, advancing to third base on a groundout. He scored on another wild pitch.

Southern Miss (29-15) tightened up the game in the bottom of the inning, blasting a three-run home run following a pair of walks.

The bullpens kept the game at a standstill until the ninth. Gaby Cruz added an insurance run for the Lions, line a solo homer to left. It was the second home run of the season for the senior catcher.

Trey Shaffer, working in relief for the first time this season, closed out the game with a pair of scoreless innings to earn the save. He fanned the side in the eighth and struck out the final batter of the game.

Brock Batty (1-1) picked up the win, tossing a pair of scoreless innings. The Lions also got scoreless outings from Kyle Flettrich, Noah Smith, Cole Hoskins and Andrew Landry.

Golden Eagle reliever Matthew Adams (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing three runs in 0.2 innings pitched.

UP NEXT
Southeastern returns to the friendly confines of Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field this weekend, hosting the first three games of a Southland Conference series against rival Nicholls. Games are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday and a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Saturday. The first game of the doubleheader is slated to be a seven-inning contest. If the first game goes extra innings, the second game would then become a seven-inning affair.

All remaining home games are slated to be broadcast on ESPN+.

The series concludes with a single game Sunday at 2 p.m. in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

TICKET INFORMATION
Baseball single-game tickets are currently on sale for the remainder of the regular season. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to minimize ticket lines on game days. Southeastern students are encouraged to contact the ticket office prior to the game to reserve theirs in advance.

Single-game tickets can be purchased online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets or by contacting the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays. The ticket booth at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field opens exactly one hour prior to the scheduled first pitch.

MOBILE TICKETING
Southeastern implemented mobile ticketing as the primary method for securing tickets during the 2020-21 school year. Tickets will be available via text message or email in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.

GAMEDAY PARKING
Gameday parking during the 2021 season is $5 per day for Southeastern baseball, while football parking is $25 per day for most vehicles and $85 for RVs.

CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics enforces a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. The policy mirrors 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.

SOCIAL DISTANCING ON GAMEDAYS
Southeastern, which is following state and local health guidelines for outdoor events set forth by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, has returned to 100 percent capacity at all athletic events. Fans are asked to maintain a comfortable distance from others when possible, wear a face covering over both their nose and mouth, and wash their hands frequently. Hand sanitizing stations are located throughout Southeastern’s athletic facilities.

LIONS GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE APP
The Lions Gameday Experience app puts audio, stats, video, social media and more in the hands of fans. Those in attendance can also check in to earn reward points redeemable for Southeastern-related prizes. Available for both Android and iOS devices, it can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play or by following the link www.LionSports.net/App.

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 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 visiting www.LionUp.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lions Baseball, follow @LionUpBaseball or @MattRiser17 on Twitter, @LionUpBaseball on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.