Southeastern outslugs McNeese, 13-9, in series finale

HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana outlasted McNeese in a wild game, 13-9, Saturday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field, forcing a split of the four-game Southland Conference series.

The Lions (18-10, 11-5 Southland), who regained sole possession of first place in the Southland standings, overcame a pair of deficits and held off a late McNeese (14-13, 8-7 Southland) rally.

Christian Garcia started the scoring with a two-run home run in the second inning. The shot to left-center field, his third of the season, came after Nick Ray drew a leadoff walk. After back-to-back walks followed the homer, McNeese head coach Justin Hill went to the bullpen for the second of the eight pitchers he used in the game.

The Cowboys responded with three runs in the third, taking the lead. A leadoff triple and a sacrifice fly produced one run. A single and a two-run homer pushed McNeese in front.

Southeastern regained the lead in the fourth. Jacob Burke drove a two-out single through a wide-open right side of the infield, plating Evan Keller and Tyler Finke.

McNeese bounced back with two more runs in the fifth, taking the lead back, but the Lions took advantage of several freebies to score three in the fifth and six more in the sixth inning.

Cowboy pitchers combined to walk eight and hit nine batters, tying a Southeastern record for most HBPs in a single game. Tyler Finke was hit by a pitch three times, tying a Lion individual record last accomplished by Kyle Schimpf on April 21, 2018.

A three-run home run sparked a four-run eighth for McNeese, but Noah Hughes retired all three batters he faced in the ninth to close out the series finale.

Brennan Stuprich (2-1) earned the win, allowing five runs – four earned – in five innings. He surrendered eight hits and one walk, striking out six batters. McNeese reliever Cameron Meeks (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing three unearned runs without recording an out.

Burke (2-for-5), Garcia (2-for-4) and Keller (2-for-5) each produced multiple hits for Southeastern.

RADIO SHOW

The next episode of Inside Southeastern Baseball with Matt Riser, presented by Blackened Brew, will be broadcast Monday at 12 p.m. from the restaurant in downtown Hammond. Fans can listen to every show on KSLU 90.9 FM, online at www.LionSports.net/ListenLive and via either the Lions Gameday Experience or TuneIn Radio apps. The one-hour show airs every Monday during the baseball season.

UP NEXT

Southeastern wraps up its eight-game homestand next weekend, hosting Abilene Christian (16-11, 8-8 Southland) at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. Games are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Saturday and a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday. 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 scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+.