Box Score

Box Score

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Josh Cryer went 4-for-4 with two RBI and Southeastern Louisiana University used timely hitting to score six runs with two outs in a 7-1 Southland Conference victory over Stephen F. Austin Friday afternoon at Jaycees Field.

Junior right-hander Tyler Watkins tossed his first complete game of the season for Southeastern (37-14, 19-9 Southland) as he held the Southland Conference's top hitting team to seven hits and an unearned run.

The win over SFA (32-15, 18-9 Southland) moved Southeastern into sole possession of second place in the Southland Conference standings with five games remaining. The victory also helped Southeastern equal last year's win total and moved the Lions to within one victory of tying the single-season record (38) that was set in 1992 and 1993.

The series continues on Saturday in a 2 p.m. contest. The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the internet at www.LionSports.net.

After being retired in order in the first inning, Southeastern left seven men on base the next three innings, including with the bases loaded in the fourth. The Lions finally broke a scoreless tie in the fifth after Justin Boudreaux led off the inning with a bunt single before advancing on a sacrifice bunt by Jeff Harkensee.

Boudreaux advanced to third on a ground out by Cody Gougler and gave Southeastern a 1-0 lead when Cryer hit a smash off the glove of SFA third baseman Michael Haynes for a two-out hit.

The Lions snapped a 1-1 tie in the sixth after Brock Hebert led off the inning with a double off SFA's Tyler Herriage (7-3), moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a fielder's choice by Cass Hargis.

Southeastern broke open the game in the eighth, scoring three times after SFA reliever Cory Ochs. Trey Martin led off the inning when he was hit by a pitch before stealing second. After Ochs got Hargis and Boudreaux to fly out, Harkensee doubled just inside the first-base line, scoring Martin and giving Southeastern a 3-1 lead.

Gougler and Cryer each followed with RBI hits for the Lions before Boudreaux added a two-out, two-run single in the ninth.

Watkins (5-3) fanned two batters and recorded 16 fly ball outs against SFA, which entered the game with a team batting average of .330. The Petal, Miss., native was aided by an unassisted double play by Martin at first to end the seventh inning before retiring the Lumberjacks in order in the eighth.

SFA scored its run in the fifth after Garrett Smith hit a one-out double and moved to third on a fly ball to right by Tanner Hines. Bobby Loveless dribbled a pitch up the first base line, but Watkins' throw to first popped out of the glove of Martin that allowed Smith to score the tying run.

Herriage, the Southland Conference leader with a 2.40 ERA entering the game, scattered eight hits and two runs in 6.2 innings of work. The southpaw fanned five batters and walked five as Southeastern collected 14 hits of four SFA pitchers.

Boudreaux went 2-for-6 with two RBI for Southeastern, while Joe Sparacino, Hebert and Martin each collected two hits. The Lions, the league's top team in on-base percentage, capitalized on six walks issued by SFA along with a pair of hit batters.

Hines and Haynes each went 2-for-4 to lead the Lumberjacks, who stranded nine men on base. Loveless and Justin Long each had a hit for SFA.

Southeastern La..... 000 011 032 - 7 14 2 (37-14, 19-9 SLC)
Stephen F. Austin... 000 010 000 - 1 7 1 (32-15, 18-9 SLC)
Watkins and Cryer. Herriage, Ochs (7), Higginbotham (8), Priest (9) and Scarafiotti , Huble (8). W – Watkins (5-3). L - Herriage (7-3). E – Hebert (11), Martin (4), Smith (2). DP - SLU 1. LOB - SLU 14, SFA 9. 2B – Harkensee (22), Cryer (10), Hebert (12), Smith (14). HBP – Martin 2. SH – Harkensee (4), Sparacino (3). SB – Martin 2 (11). CS – Hines (6). T - 3:01. A – 236.

NOTES –
The win was No. 163 at Southeastern for head coach Jay Artigues, moving past John Stephenson for third-place on the career win list. Greg Marten (348 wins) and Pat Kenelly (211) are the current leaders in school history.

Watkins' complete game effort was the fifth by a Lion pitcher this season with Chris Franklin (3) and Brandon Efferson (1) producing the others.

Harkensee's double in the eighth was his Southland Conference leading 22nd of the year. Former Lion Ty Summerlin recorded a school-record 24 doubles in 2009.

Southeastern improved to 29-3 overall when leading after six innings, 29-2 when leading after seven and 32-2 when leading after eight. The Lions also improved to 23-1 when out-hitting their opponent.