Box Score Box Score
HAMMOND – Cody Gougler and
Brock Hebert each went 4-for-5 to lead an 18-hit attack and No. 22 Southeastern Louisiana used a five-run sixth inning to pull away and defeat UT Arlington, 11-5, in a Southland Conference game Saturday afternoon at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
The teams will play the rubber match of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the internet at www.LionSports.net.
Joe Sparacino and
Josh Cryer each belted solo home runs for Southeastern (25-7, 9-5 SLC) while
Chris Franklin drove in three runs.
Brandon Efferson (6-1) pitched seven innings, scattering eight hits and striking out four in helping Southeastern snap a two-game losing streak.
The Lions (No. 22 Collegiate Baseball and NCBWA; No. 24 in USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll) trailed 1-0 in the second inning before scoring three runs to take the lead for good. Sparacino, who went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks, belted a 2-and-0 pitch from UTA's Rett Varner (3-4) over the right-field fence for his third home run of the season. Franklin later hit a one-out single to left field and moved to third when
Chris Ernest singled to right. UTA right-fielder Preston Beck tried to throw Franklin out at third, allowing Ernest to reach second.
Cryer then lifted a fly ball to center field where it was misplayed by Michael Choice for an error and allowing both runners to score for a 3-1 lead.
Ernest, who went 2-for-4, answered a UTA rally in the fourth when his opposite-field single score Hebert, who led off with single, moved to second on a stolen base and third on a wild pitch.
The Lions loaded the bases in the fifth and scored when Franklin hit a high-chopper to second base, which allowed Gougler to score for a 5-2 lead.
UTA got as close as 5-3 in the sixth when Chad Comer hit an RBI double down the left-field line, but the Lions put the game away in the bottom half of the frame as it sent nine men to the plate.
Cryer, who was moved from the cleanup spot to the No. 9 spot in the lineup, belted a 1-1 pitch from Varner over the left field wall to push the Lion lead to 6-3. Gougler added a two-run single and Franklin drove in two runs past a drawn-in infield for a 10-3 advantage.
Hebert added an RBI single in the eighth for the Lions off UTA reliever Sam Hansen that drove in
Jeff Harkensee for an 11-3 lead.
UTA (15-16, 8-6 SLC), which got 17 hits in a 7-6 win on Friday, recorded 12 hits with solo home runs from Jesse Payne and Jordan Vaughn. Comer, who delivered the eventual game-winning home run in the ninth against Southeastern, went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBI for the Mavericks.
UT Arlington........ 010 101 002 - 5 12 1 (15-16, 8-6 SLC)
Southeastern La..... 030 115 01x - 11 18 1 (25-7, 9-5 SLC)
Varner, Watson (6), Hansen (6) and Comer. Efferson, Wax (8), Lorenz (9) and Cryer. W – Efferson (6-1). L – Varner (3-4). E – Choice (2), Harkensee (3). DP - UTA 3, SLU 1. LOB - UTA 11, SLU 8. 2B – Choice (5), Guest 2 (13), Comer 2 (11), Harkensee (17). HR – Vaughn (2), Payne (4), Sparacino (3), Cryer (3). SF – Cryer (4). SB – Hebert (8). T - 2:50. A – 690.
