Box Score Box Score
THIBODAUX – Cass Hargis went 3-for-6 with a pair of RBI while
Justin Boudreaux and
Josh Cryer each drove in three runs as Southeastern Louisiana scored 10 unanswered runs in the final three innings and defeated Nicholls, 14-5, in the finale of a Southland Conference series on Sunday at Ray E. Didier Field.
Tyler Watkins pitched the final 5.2 innings in relief to earn the win, allowing one hit and fanning four as Southeastern (33-13, 15-9 Southland) won its sixth league series in eight attempts. The Lions dropped the opening game, 5-3, against Nicholls (22-21, 11-13 Southland) on Friday before rallying for a 9-4 win on Saturday.
Southeastern trailed 5-4 after four innings before scratching a pair of runs in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead it would not relinquish.
Trey Martin, who scored three runs for the Lions, was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to second when Nicholls starter Jarret Dunnam (3-6) committed a balk. Martin moved to third on a wild pitch after Dunnam fanned Hargis for the second out, but Boudreaux and
Jeff Harkensee each drew walks to load the bases.
Cody Gougler then hit a grounder that was bobbled by Colonel shortstop Chase Jaramillo for an error, allowing Martin to score and tie the game at 5-5. Cryer then drew a bases-loaded walk off reliever Cullen Babin that plated Boudreaux and put the Lions ahead, 6-5.
Southeastern scored three more times in the eighth as Hargis singled deep in the hole at shortstop to drive in pinch-runner
Alex Marse before Boudreaux drilled a two-run double to left to give the Lions a 9-5 lead.
Hargis and Boudreaux each added RBI singles in the ninth while Gougler was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to fuel a five-run ninth and seal the game.
Watkins (4-3) gave up a two-out single in the seventh to Kevin Schlegel and retired 12 of the final 14 batters he faced, including retiring the side in the ninth. The third pitcher used by Southeastern, Watkins came in with the bases loaded in the fourth after Nicholls took a 5-4 on a sacrifice fly by Adam Miley.
Brady Bourque greeted Watkins with a fly ball to left that appeared to be a sacrifice fly that scored Bear Comer and give the Colonels a possible 6-4 lead. But Comer was ruled out at third for leaving the base early, taking the run off the board and ending the inning.
Southeastern took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Gougler laced a two-out just inside the first-base line that scored Hargis, who snapped an 0-for-8 slide with a leadoff single.
Nicholls answered with a run in the bottom of the first on Beau Faulk's two-out double to left before capitalizing on a pair of Lion errors to score three unearned runs and build a 4-1 lead.
Faulk, who went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs, hit a bloop single off Southeastern starter Jordan Hymel that scored Keith Kulbeth before Jaramillo lined a two-out single off the glove of Martin at first that scored Faulk and Bourque.
Chris Ernest went 1-for-4 with a RBI for Southeastern, which collected 13 hits off six Colonel pitchers.
Brock Hebert added a pair of hits for the Lions while
Philip Freeman went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
Southeastern will return to action on Tuesday when it visits in-state rival LSU in a 6:30 p.m. game at Alex Box Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on Cox Sports Television (Dish Network Channel 421 on the Northshore) and can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9).
Southeastern La..... 100 300 235 - 14 13 2 (33-13, 15-9 SLC)
Nicholls............ 103 100 000 - 5 9 4 (22-21, 11-13 SLC)
Hymel, Janway (4), Watkins (4) and Cryer. Dunnam, Bonvillian (7), Babin (7), Delatte (7), Arceneaux (9), Labiche (9) and Schlegel. W – Watkins (4-3). L – Dunnam (3-6). E – Freeman (2), Hymel (1), Bourque (12), Jaramillo 2 (17), Culverson (4). DP - SLU 1, Nicholls 1. LOB – SLU 11, Nicholls 11. 2B – J. Boudreaux (11), Gougler (12), Hebert (11), Kulbeth (8), Faulk (7). HBP - Gougler, Martin 2. SH – Freeman (5), Kulbeth (7). SF – Miley (3). SB – Culverson (10). T - 3:35. A – 128.
