Box Score Box Score
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Chris Franklin made the most of his first career start on the mound as he recorded a complete-game four-hitter and helped No. 20-ranked Southeastern Louisiana to an 11-3 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the final game of a Southland Conference series Sunday at Chapman Field.
Franklin (5-4), the Lions' closer and 2009 All-American, allowed two base runners and one hit after the third inning as Southeastern (30-12, 13-8 Southland) snapped a season-high three-game losing streak and avoided its first sweep since last season at Texas State.
The senior right-hander got off to a rough start against A&M-CC (16-24, 8-13 Southland) as he gave up a pair of hits, walked two and hit a batter in a three-run first inning for the Islanders. After that, the Oneonta, Ala., native settled down walking one and giving up a second-inning single to Chris Vergne.
Franklin, who fanned seven batters and forced 11 ground ball outs, retired six straight batters beginning in the third before Omar Garcia reached on a leadoff single in the fifth. After Trey Hernandez reached on an error to start the sixth, Franklin buckled down and retired the final 12 batters he faced.
Southeastern (No. 20 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association; No. 24 USA Today/ESPN Coaches; No. 25 Baseball America) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when
Brock Hebert delivered a two-out single that scored
Cass Hargis and
Justin Boudreaux. Hebert, who finished 3-for-5 with three RBI, added an RBI single that gave the Lions a 4-3 lead before
Josh Cryer followed two batters later with a two-run double to left.
The Lions, who tallied 14 hits against five Islander pitchers, iced the game in the eighth sending 10 men to the plate and scoring five times to extend their lead to 11-3.
Philip Freeman hit a two-run single before Hargis, Boudreaux and
Jeff Harkensee each drove in runs.
Harkensee went 3-for-5 including his Southland Conference-leading 20th double of the season. Cryer went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI for the Lions while
Joe Sparacino had a double and an RBI.
Brandon Orr (2-5) took the loss for A&M-CC allowing five runs and six hits in two innings of work. Matt Holland went 1-for-4 with an RBI while Jeramie Marek's two-run single in the first inning gave the Islanders a 3-2 lead.
Southeastern will return to action on Tuesday when it plays host to in-state rival Southern University in a 6 p.m. contest at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. Tickets are available by calling the Southeastern Athletic Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or on-line at www.LionSports.net.
Southeastern La..... 204 000 050 - 11 14 1 (30-12, 13-8 SLC)
Texas A&M-CC........ 300 000 000 - 3 4 1 (16-24, 8-13 SLC)
Franklin and Cryer. Orr, Pena (3), Campbell (5), Madrid (8), Ferdin (8) and Garcia. W – Franklin (5-4). L - Orr (2-5). E – Ernest (2), Pena (2). DP - SLU 1, AMCC 1. LOB – SLU 7, AMCC 3. 2B – Harkensee (20), Sparacino (6), Cryer (8). HBP – J. Boudreaux, Ernest, Montgomery. SH – J. Boudreaux (4). SF – J. Boudreaux (3), Sparacino (1). SB – Hargis (12). CS – Vergne (4). T - 2:48. A – 200.
