HAMMOND, La. - Southeastern Louisiana collected just three more hits than Abilene Christian in their series opener but one was a three-run homer and another was a bases-clearing triple and the Lions went on to defeat the Wildcats, 11-3, Friday night at Alumni Field.
Senior
Tyler Eager had four of the Wildcats' base hits - all singles - but was unfortunately left on base each time as ACU (1-12, 1-3 Southland) finished the contest with nine men left on base.
Aaron Draper (2-for-5) and
Kyle Carroll (2-for-4) also finished with multi-hit performances with Carroll striking a double to center in the eighth to plate the Wildcats' first run of the ball game.
But by the time the Wildcats started to make any noise offensively, they were already behind, 10-0. The Lions scored three in the first inning when Daniel Midyett blasted a home run over the wall in right vs. starter
Garrett deMeyere, and three innings later, Julian Service drilled a bases-loaded triple into the left-center gap that made it 6-0.
Service came home on a fielding error by the Wildcats' first baseman, and in the fifth deMeyere surrendered three more hits that led to two runs and a 9-0 Southeastern advantage.
Drew Hanson tossed a scoreless sixth for the Wildcats, but seventh and eighth-inning relievers
Bryce Welborn and
Austin Lambright were each touched for one run.
Eager and Draper were the only Wildcats to find any success against Southeastern starter Tate Scioneaux who tossed 7.0 scoreless innings behind eight strikeouts. Eager, however, was 3-of-3 against him, while Draper singled in one of his three at-bats.
ACU scored all its runs in the eighth vs. Lions' reliever Dreagen Bethel.
Heath Beasley and Carroll led off with doubles.
Colton Hall then reached on the left fielders' error and Eager and Marcel Carter capitalized with run-scoring singles.
Bethel finally got out of the jam with a double-play ball, and in the ninth the Wildcats left the bases loaded vs. junior transfer John Gremillion who punched out Hall and Eager to end the game.
The three-game series between Wildcats and Lions (14-5, 3-1 Southland) continues Saturday at 2 p.m. Game three is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
