Box Score Box Score
HAMMOND – Senior
Chris Franklin went 2-for-5 at the plate with three RBI before pitching the final two innings to record his seventh save as No. 23-ranked Southeastern Louisiana withstood a Texas State rally and earned a 9-6 Southland Conference victory Sunday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
True freshman
Jordan Hymel tossed seven inning and scattered four hits as Southeastern (29-9, 12-6 SLC) built a 7-0 lead and handed Texas State (21-13, 13-5 SLC) its first Southland Conference series loss.
Justin Boudreaux went 2-for-4 with three RBI for Southeastern while
Cass Hargis went 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
Franklin gave Southeastern a 1-0 lead in the second inning when he hit a two-out double to right field off Texas State starter Lee Colon (4-3) that scored
Cody Gougler. Franklin later chased Colon in the fifth with a two-run double in the fifth that gave the Lions a 7-0 lead.
The Lions led 2-0 after three innings before Boudreaux hit a two-run single with two outs, scoring
Chris Ernest and Hargis. Southeastern broke the game open in the fifth as it took advantage of three Bobcat errors.
Gougler, who finished 2-for-2 and reached base five times, led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a failed pickoff attempt. Colon fanned
Brock Hebert, but the ball got away from catcher Andrew Stumph allowing Hebert to reach and Gougler to steal third. Hebert attempted to steal second and got caught in a rundown, but slipped past second baseman Christian Gallegos and was safe at second as Jason Martinson mishandled the throw for an error.
Franklin then laced a double into left-center field, scoring both runners before scoring two batters later when
Josh Cryer singled to left.
Hymel (6-1), who walked five batters without a strikeout, held Texas State in check retiring six of the first seven batters he faced and holding the Bobcats without a hit until Kyle Kubitza hit a two-out double in the fourth inning.
Texas State erupted for four runs in the sixth inning after Hymel got Jason Martinson to fly out with a runner on base. Jeff McVaney doubled off the left-center field wall before Kyle Livingstone hit a two-run single and Kubitza followed with a two-run home run.
The Bobcats threatened in the eighth inning after McVaney drew a walk, Livingstone singled off reliever Stefan Lopez and Kubitza walked to load the bases. Franklin replaced Lopez and got Stumph to hit into a 6-4-3 double play before fanning pinch-hitter Shaun Garcia to end the inning.
Texas State cut the lead to 9-6 in the ninth when Bret Atwood doubled into the left-field corner, scoring Laurn Randell and Martinson followed with a single to extend his hitting streak to a school-record 22 games, but Franklin got McVaney to hit into a 5-4-3 double play to end the game.
Southeastern will return to action on Tuesday when it travels to New Orleans to face Tulane in a 6 p.m. contest at Turchin Stadium. The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the internet at www.LionSports.net.
Texas State......... 000 004 011 - 6 8 4 (21-13, 13-5 SLC)
Southeastern La..... 011 231 10x - 9 10 1 (29-9, 12-6 SLC)
Colon, Pittman (5), Borski (6), McVaney (7) and Stumph. Hymel, Lopez (8), Franklin (8) and Cryer. W – Hymel (6-1). Sv. – Franklin (7). L – Colon (4-3). E - Martinson 2 (10), Stumph (1), Colon (2), Franklin (8). DP - SLU 2. LOB - TXST 7, SLU 11. 2B – Atwood (9), McVaney (8), Kubitza (11), Harkensee (18), Franklin 2 (4). HR – Kubitza (5). HBP - Gougler, Ernest. SH – Gallegos (1), J. Boudreaux (3), Martin (9), Cryer (8). SF – Hebert (3). SB – Randell (11), J. Boudreaux (14), Gougler 2 (3). Reached on CI - Ernest. T - 3:04. A – 883.
