April 2, 2011

Box Score

HAMMOND, La. - Britt Gautreaux slugged a three-run home run, and Brock Hebert added a two-run double Saturday afternoon as Southeastern Louisiana erupted for five second-inning runs en route to an 8-1 Southland Conference victory over Lamar University.

Lamar's starting pitcher Jeff Abt was the victim of SLU's second-inning uprising, and he fell to 0-2 on the season. Lamar coach Jim Gilligan employed six other pitchers in the loss that dropped the Cardinals to 19-11 on the season and 7-4 in the SLC.

Southeastern, which improved to 18-10 and 6-5, respectively, received a solid pitching effort from senior right-hander Tyler Watkins, who upped his record to 5-0. He went the distance for the second time this season, scattering six hits and striking out eight batters without walking any. In fact, he has walked only five batters in 52.0 innings this spring.

The Cardinals averted suffering their second shutout loss of the season when junior left fielder Kevin Roebuck pulled a one-out double down the leftfield line in the eighth inning, and Abt, who remained in the game as the team's designated hitter, followed with an RBI double one out later.

Abt's three-up and three-down first inning showing on the mound was a faded memory by the time SLU catcher Josh Cryer stroked a double into left field for the game's first hit with one out in the second inning. After Abt hit centerfielder Cass Hargis, Gautreaux, who brought a meager .200 batting average into the game, boomed his first home run of the season over the right field fence to give the Lions a 3-0 advantage.

Later in the inning, Hebert came through with his two-run double to make it 5-0, and Tommy Roebuck relieved Abt a couple of minutes later. Taylor Reeves, Taylor McInnis, Bronson Buell, Albert Lott and Kane Benoit all followed Roebuck to the mound for the Cardinals, who won the first game of the series 3-1 on Friday night.

The Lions completed their scoring by adding a single run in the third inning and two more in the fourth.

The teams will conclude the three-game series with a 1 p.m. Sunday game at 2,500-seat Alumni Field.

LAMAR