HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team finished off a sweep of its four-game series against Lafayette College with an 11-4 victory Sunday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Southeastern (4-0) took advantage of more freebies from the Lafayette (0-4) pitching staff, scoring in double digits for the third time in the series.
Lion starting pitcher Jay Long started off strong, striking out the first four batters he faced in the game. The offense offered some support in the second inning. SLU batted around, scoring six runs in the second to take an early lead. Single runs in the third and fourth provided a cushion. Three more runs in the eighth helped seal the win.
TJ Salvaggio drew a one-out walk to get the offense going in the second. Bryce Grizzaffi followed with a single. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position before Rhett Rosevear drew a walk to load the bases.
Lafayette starting pitcher Jacob Maurer (0-1) hit Tyler Finke with a pitch, forcing in the first run before committing a balk to plate Grizzaffi. Shea Thomas drew a walk to load the bases. Maurer uncorked another wild pitch, allowing Rosevear to score.
After Maurer issued a walk to Christian Garcia, the Leopards went to the bullpen. Pierce Leavengood greeted reliever Pat Walega with a bases-clearing double down the right-field line, putting the Lions up, 6-0, in the game.
The Leopards struck for a pair of runs in the third, but SLU answered back.
Salvaggio led off the bottom of the inning with a solo home run to left-center field, the first of his career, and Leavengood tacked on another run in the fourth with an RBI single.
Relievers Lance Lauve (2), Jackson Rodriguez (2) and Connor Spencer (3) each fanned multiple batters as Lion pitching combined to strike out 13 in the game. Lauve (1-0) picked up the win, logging 2.2 innings in relief of Long.
Leavengood and Grizzaffi had a pair of hits each with Leavengood driving in a game-high four runs. Finke, Thomas and Salvaggio each scored a pair of runs while Finke tied the school single-game record with four stolen bases.
UP NEXT
Southeastern heads out on the road for the first time in 2023, traveling up I-55 to Jackson, Mississippi for a non-conference contest on Mardi Gras day. The Lions face Jackson State at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Robert “Bob” Braddy Field. It will be the first matchup of the two programs on the diamond since the 2018 season.
{Courtesy: Southeastern Athletics}