Box Score HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana senior center-fielder
Harry Slade deposited a 2-1 changeup over the right-field wall in the ninth inning Saturday for a two-run home run as the Lions defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 4-3, at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Southeastern (13-6), which won the first game of the series, 14-1, never led until the final swing of the game. Despite the wind constantly blowing out, and a pair of Lion home runs, the game decidedly favored the pitchers.
UAPB (5-13) starter Mikey Ramirez (1-3) went the distance, allowing three runs in the ninth to take the loss. Southeastern starter
Tate Scioneaux, who did not factor in the decision, allowed just one earned run in 6.1 innings pitched while
Mason Klotz (2-0) earned the win with 2.2 scoreless innings in relief.
Each team scratched out seven hits, but the Lions committed three costly errors that led to a pair of unearned runs for UAPB. The first run came in the second when
Harry Slade dropped a two-out fly ball, allowing Dwayne Hysmith to score from second base, though Slade would later atone for the miscue.
The Golden Lions added another unearned run in fifth. The eighth- and ninth-place hitters each reached on errors by Southeastern third baseman
Jesse Buratt, with Jacob Whitney scoring from second on Patrick Phillips RBI single to left-center.
Southeastern cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning as freshman catcher
Jameson Fisher cranked the first home run of his career out to right field. It was just the second hit of the game for the Lions, both belonging to Fisher.
UAPB pushed across their final run in the seventh. Mike Wieland drew a lead-off walk from Scioneaux and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Head coach
Jay Artigues elected to bring in Klotz to face Cody De Mera. The second baseman singled, putting runners on the corners for Whitney.
Whitney pushed a sacrifice bunt to the first-base side of the diamond and
Aaron Haag's throw home skipped to Fisher, who was unable to hang on for the tag.
Ramirez kept the Lion hitters off balance for the bulk of the game with a combination of off-speed pitches and Southeastern headed to the bottom of the ninth down, 3-1.
Leading off, senior shortstop
Ben Hernandez hit a ball to right that dropped in for a double when right fielder Mike Ludwig lost the ball in the sun.
Ladd Rhodes followed up by punching a base hit through the left side, putting runners on the corners with nobody out.
Buratt atoned for his miscues by lofting a sacrifice fly to right, driving home Hernandez to bring the Lions within one and setting up Slade's heroics.
Sunday's game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), on the internet through the Southeastern athletics website as well as on the KSLU iPhone and TuneIn Radio apps. Live stats, as well as a live video stream through LionVision, will be available. Links to audio, stats and video are located on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
Senior left-hander
Jordan Hymel (1-2, 4.16) is slated to get the start as the Lions go for the series sweep. He will be opposed by UAPB's Jim Ploeger (2-2, 4.07), also a left-hander.
The series finale is Academy Family Sunday in the Park. Roomie's Kid Zone, sponsored by Academy Sports and Outdoors, will be open down the left-field line featuring a bounce house and other family-friendly activities. Kid's are welcome to join the Lions on the field for the national anthem Sunday and to run the bases after the game. The baseball team will also be signing autographs after Sunday's game.
Southeastern La. 4, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3 (Mar 16, 2013 at Hammond, La.)
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Arkansas-Pine Bluff. 010 010 100 - 3 7 0 (5-13)
Southeastern La....... 000 010 003 - 4 7 3 (13-6)
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Pitchers: Arkansas-Pine Bluff - Ramirez, Mikey and Wieland, Mike. Southeastern La. - Scioneaux, Tate; Klotz, Mason (7) and Fisher, Jameson.
Win-Klotz, Mason (2-0) Loss-Ramirez, Mikey (1-3) T-2:25 A-915
HR SLU - Slade, Harry (1); Fisher, Jameson (1).
Weather: Sunny 75, SSW 12 mph
