Box Score Box Score
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Southeastern Louisiana's
Jacob Fisher went a season-best 3-for-4 at the plate and the Lions used a five-run eighth inning to build an 8-1 lead and hold off Southland Conference leader Texas State, 8-5, on Friday at Bobcat Ballpark.
The series between the league's projected top two teams 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.
Jonathan Pace,
Cass Hargis and
Cody Gougler had two hits each to lead an 11-hit attack for Southeastern (24-11, 10-6 SLC), which moved to within one game of Texas State (21-12, 11-15 SLC) and Stephen F. Austin (24-11, 11-5 SLC) for first place in the league standings.
Southeastern, picked to finish second in the Southland Conference Preseason Poll, broke open a 3-1 contest in the eighth inning as it sent 11 men to plate and capitalized on a pair of Bobcat errors. Hargis and Gougler opened the inning with singles off Texas State reliever Garrett Shepperd before Fisher, who entered the game with a .164 average, followed with an RBI to right to give Southeastern a 4-1 lead.
A throwing error by Texas State's Kyle Kubitza allowed two runs to score before
Brock Hebert scored on a second Bobcat error and
Josh Cryer later added an RBI single that drove in
Justin Boudreaux.
Texas State, picked to finish first in the Southland Conference, answered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning as the Bobcats sent 10 men to the plate and left the bases loaded as
Stefan Lopez struck out Joey Fuda to end the threat.
The Lions broke open a scoreless game in the fourth as they took a 1-0 lead.
Jonathan Pace led off the frame with a double to right off Texas State starter Carson Smith (5-2) and scored three batters later when Gougler singled to left. Pace, who went 2-for-4, doubled in the fifth inning to drive in Hebert before
Jeff Harkensee scored on a ground out by Cryer to give Southeastern a 3-0 lead.
Brandon Efferson (6-2) pitched 6.1 innings and scattered six hits for the Lions, fanning six batters before being relieved by
Jason Greenleaf in the seventh. Lopez, the fifth pitcher used by the Lions, pitched the final 1.2 innings and fanned two batters to record his eighth save of the season.
Smith, who entered the game with a 1.76 earned run average, allowed three runs on seven hits in 7.0 innings. Jeff McVaney and Andrew Stumph had three hits each to lead Texas State, which stranded 11 men on base.
Southeastern La..... 000 120 050 - 8 11 1 (24-11, 10-6 SLC)
Texas State......... 000 001 040 - 5 12 2 (21-12, 11-5 SLC)
Efferson, Greenleaf (7), Koon (8), Ott (8), Lopez (8) and Fisher. Smith, Shepperd (8), Lemke (8), Ballew (9) and Stumph. W – Efferson (6-2). Sv. - Lopez (8). L – Smith (5-2). E – Hebert (11), Kubitza (12), Kalenkosky (4). DP – SLU 2, Texas State 1. LOB – SLU 11, Texas State 11. 2B – Pace 2 (9), McVaney (5). HBP - Pace, Gougler, Fisher, Martin. SB – Hebert 2 (16). CS – Atwood (5). T - 3:09. A – 868.
