HAMMOND, La. – On a day that the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball program honored the memory of one of its own, the late Kaleb Manuel, the Lions created some new memories on the field with a 4-3, walk-off win over SIU Edwardsville at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Southeastern (2-0) tied the game twice but never led SIUE (0-2) until Tyler Finke crossed home plate on a wild pitch to end it.
Redshirt junior Hayden Robb set the tone early for what proved to be another tight game, fanning the side in the first inning.
After the Lions went up and down in order in the first, SIUE struck first. Robb struggled with his control after returning to the mound in the second. The right-hander from Vancleave, Mississippi hit the leadoff batter before surrendering a single.
Following a sacrifice bunt, Robb proceeded to sandwich a pair of walks around a sacrifice fly. A wild pitch plated a second run for the Cougars.
SLU left the bases loaded in the second, but scratched across a run in the third to cut the deficit in half. Finke worked a two-out walk and then stole second base. He scored on a bloop double down the left-field line off the bat of Preston Faulkner.
The Lions tied the game in the fourth. Christian Garcia reached on a fielding error by SIUE starting pitcher Brant Glidewell to open up the inning. Graduate transfer Tristan Welch followed up with a hit-and-run single through the right side, putting runners on the corners.
With one out, Evan Keller lined the ball back up the middle. It ricocheted off Glidewell’s ankle through the left side of the infield for an RBI single, tying the game at two apiece. Glidewell remained in the game to finish the inning but did not return after his club regained the lead in the fifth on a leadoff home run.
Both bullpens locked down the game for the next several innings until SLU tied up the game in the eighth.
Garcia drew a leadoff walk, advancing to third on Champ Artigues’ pinch-hit single and a throwing error by the SIUE second baseman. Artigues advanced to second on the error, but Garcia was cut down at the plate.
The Cougars brought in reliever Alex Scherer (0-1). SLU countered with pinch-hitter Pierce Leavengood and pinch-runner Joe Delaney. Leavengood reached on a fielding error by the second baseman as Delaney advanced to third. Delaney scored to tie the game once again on an RBI fielder’s choice groundout off the bat of Keller.
Andrew Landry (1-0), who entered the game in the seventh, retired all seven batters he faced in the game. The sophomore right-hander from Slidell, Louisiana fanned the final two batters in the ninth, giving him five in 2.1 innings of work.
Scherer hit Finke with a pitch to open up the bottom of the ninth. Faulkner followed with a hit-and-run single to the second baseman. After issuing an intentional walk to shortstop Shea Thomas, Scherer uncorked the game-ending wild pitch.
Landry earned the win in relief, the first of his career. Scherer suffered the loss, allowing one run in 0.2 innings pitched.
UP NEXT
The series wraps up Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+. The game can also be heard online at www.LionSports.net/ListenLive and via both the Lions Gameday Experience, Mixlr and MyTuner Radio apps. The MyTuner app is compatible with the Apple CarPlay software available in most late model automobiles. Fans should search for the Southeastern Sports Radio Network on both Mixlr and MyTuner.
Other options to follow the action include live statistics or the @LionUpBaseball Twitter account. Links to audio, video and stats are available on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
General admission tickets are $9 for adults and $6 for youth (ages 3-12). Southeastern students, with a university ID, and children under age 2 are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets. Gameday parking is $5 per day for standard vehicles and $25 for RVs.
In Sunday’s series finale, Southeastern will start senior right-hander Hunter O’Toole (1-0, 7.11) against Cougar senior right-hander Collin Baumgartner (1-1, 3.05 in 2020).
RADIO SHOW
The 2022 debut episode of Inside Southeastern Baseball with Matt Riser, presented by Pour House Pizza and Beer Garden, will be Monday at 12 p.m. from the restaurant in downtown Hammond. Fans can listen to every show online at www.LionSports.net/ListenLive and via the Lions Gameday Experience, MyTuner Radio or Mixlr apps. The MyTuner Radio app is compatible with the Apple CarPlay software available in most newer automobiles.
TICKET & PARKING INFORMATION
Single-game tickets are on sale for the remainder of the regular season. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to minimize ticket lines on game days. Southeastern students are encouraged to contact the ticket office prior to the game to reserve theirs in advance.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets or by contacting the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays. The ticket booth at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field opens exactly one hour prior to the scheduled first pitch.
Southeastern uses mobile ticketing as the primary method for distributing tickets purchased online. Tickets will be available via text message or email in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics enforces a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. The policy mirrors safety precautions required for entrance to professional and collegiate sporting venues throughout the country. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/Clear.
LIONS GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE APP
The Lions Gameday Experience app puts audio, stats, video, social media and more in the hands of fans. Those in attendance can also check in to earn reward points redeemable for Southeastern-related prizes. Available for both Android and iOS devices, it can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play or by following the link www.LionSports.net/App.
DIAMOND CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the baseball program are encouraged to join the Diamond Club. Lion baseball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
All membership fees and donations to both the Diamond Club and S Club (baseball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern baseball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lions Baseball, follow @LionUpBaseball or @MattRiser17 on Twitter, @LionUpBaseball on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
LINE SCORE
Southeastern 4, SIU Edwardsville 3 (Feb 19, 2022 at Hammond, La.)
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SIU Edwardsville …. 020 010 000 – 3 3 3 (0-2)
Southeastern ……….. 001 100 011 – 4 7 0 (2-0)
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Pitchers: SIU Edwardsville – Glidewell, Brant; Waterhouse, Quinn (5); Dixon, Kyle (6); Scherer, Alex (8) and Pattan, Steven; Stallcup, John. Southeastern – Robb, Hayden; Dugas, Daniel (6); Batty, Brock (7); Landry, Andrew (7) and Grizzaffi, Bryce.
Win-Landry, Andrew (1-0) Loss-Scherer, Alex (0-1) T-2:57 A-1085
HR SIUE – Ohl, Josh (1).
Weather: 61 Sunny, NNE 11 mph
Batty, B. faced 1 batter in the 7th.
Scherer faced 3 batters in the 9th.
{Courtesy: release from Southeastern athletics}