Box Score
HAMMOND, La. – For the second-straight game, Southeastern Louisiana kept the pressure on Texas State and took advantage of the resulting Bobcats mistakes Saturday for an 8-1 Southland Conference victory.
The Lions (24-11, 10-7 Southland) scored five runs in the second inning, aided by a couple of wild pitches and a pair of Texas State errors. Southeastern added three more runs in the in the fourth inning to chase Bobcat starter Colton Turner (3-2), the conference ERA leader.
Starter
Jordan Hymel (5-2) picked up the win after allowing one run on just three hits in seven innings of work. He struck out seven and walked three.
Kaleb Manuel tossed two scoreless innings in relief to close out the game.
Catcher
Sam Roberson struck out to open the third for the Lions, but reached base when the pitch kicked away from Texas State catcher Andrew Stumph. Another wild pitch sent Roberson to second.
With Roberson in scoring position,
Brett Hoffman knocked the first of his two singles on the day putting runners on the corners.
Ben Hernandez pushed a sacrifice bunt up the first-base line, but Texas State first baseman Casey Kalenkosky knocked the ball away attempting to field it. Everyone moved up safely with Roberson scoring to put the Lions on the board.
After Turner battled back with a pair of strikeouts,
Brock Hebert doubled down the left-field line. Hoffman scored, but when the left fielder allowed to ball to get past him, Hernandez was able to score all the way from first. Hebert stole home, his 29th steal of the season, to clear the bases.
Southeastern still had more scoring to do as
Jonathan Pace and
Cody Gougler drew back-to-back walks to keep the inning alive.
Ladd Rhodes, the ninth hitter to come to the plate in the third, drove a single up the middle to plate Pace.
Texas State (20-14, 8-9 Southland) answered with a run in the fourth, but the Lions bounced back for three more in their half of the inning.
A scary moment temporarily halted the game in the fifth. Southeastern had runners at first and second with no outs and Roberson at the plate. Attempting to sacrifice the runners up, Roberson popped up a bunt foul toward the screen. Stumph and Bobcat pitcher Taylor Black gave chase, but Stump stumbled head-first into the brick backstop.
The game was halted while the training staff attended to Stumph and medical personnel were called to transport him to the hospital. Both teams met around the mound for a short prayer before the game continued.
Late in the game, reports on Stumph said he was suffering from a sore neck and wrist, but had not suffered any other injuries.
Saturday losses by Sam Houston State, Northwestern State and UT-Arlington put Southeastern in a second-place tie with the Demons, four games in back of the Bearkats. UTA falls a game behind the Lions.
The series concludes at 1 p.m. Sunday with left-hander
Buck Bernard (2-0, 2.16) earning his first Southland Conference start for the Lions. He'll be opposed by right-hander Kyle Finnegan (4-2, 2.86).
Sunday at the Park, sponsored by Academy Sports and Outdoors, will have a bounce house and target throw for kids. There will also be a chance to win free Raising Cane's with the Cane's Challenge.
The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and live statistics will be available at www.LionSports.net.
Line Score
Texas State.......... 000 100 000 – 1 5 4 (20-14, 8-9 SLC)
Southeastern La... 005 300 00x – 8 9 1 (24-11, 10-7 SLC)
Turner, Lemke (4), Black (5), Head (7) and Stumph, Kalenkosky (5). Hymel, Manuel (8) and Roberson. W – Hymel (5-2). L – Turner (3-2). E – Kalenkosky (5), McVaney (2), Lovejoy (1), Lemke (1), Slade (3). DP – Texas State 1. LOB – Texas State 6, SLU 8. 2B – Kalenkosky (6), Targun (1), Hebert (14). HBP - Rhodes. SH – Hernandez (14). SF – Stumph (1). SB – McVaney (6), Smelser (3), Hebert (29). T - 2:56. A – 928.
