Demons eliminated after 10-4 loss
By: Brandon Dunn
Updated: July 15, 2010
CORPUS CHRISTI – Southeastern Louisiana’s Jeff Harkensee’s three-run first-inning home run, followed by a four-run fourth helped guide the No. 3-seeded Southeastern Louisiana Lions to a 10-4 win over second-seed Northwestern State in a loser’s bracket elimination game in the 2010 Southland Conference baseball tournament at Whataburger Field Thursday.
The loss was the seventh straight tournament defeat suffered by the Demons as they complete the season 36-21. It was also the second straight year NSU was eliminated by SLU. The Lions knocked out the Demons last season after a 9-7 win. SLU improves to 40-18 on the year and will play the loser of the McNeese State-Lamar game at 9 a.m. on Friday.
Demon starting pitcher Ryan Zimmerman (6-5), a third-team All-SLC selection, took the loss after he lasted just two innings after he gave up five runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Four pitchers followed – Andrew Plotkin, Dustin Northcott, Chad Sheppard, and Heath Hennigan.
Meanwhile, Lion starter Tyler Watkins (6-3) picked up the win after he tossed seven innings while giving up four runs on eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Stefan Lopez closed out the game while allowing no runs and just one hit in two innings.
Lopez entered the game with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth inning after the Demons loaded the bases on three straight singles by Oscar Garcia, Chase Lyles, and Adam Roy. Lopez then relieved Watkins and struckout Tyler Baisley before getting Justin Martinez to hit an infield popup and Colin Bear to groundout to end any threat.
NSU finished the game with nine hits to SLU’s 14.
Lyles, who was playing in his final game as a Demon, went 3 for 5 with a RBI and two runs scored. He also was part of a double-steal and got his school single-season record 34th stolen base of the year when he stole home in the sixth inning.
Garcia went 2 for 4 with a run scored while Roy finished the day 2 for 4 with two RBIs.
For the Lions, four players had double digits in hits with Cass Hargis (3 for 6) and Cody Gougler (3 for 5) leading the way. Harkensee went 2 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs scored while Brock Hebert added a 2 for 4 day with a RBI and run scored.
The Lions jumped out on top early with Harkensee’s three-run homer with no outs in the first, his sixth of the season. The lead jumped to 7-0 after a four-run third inning on a sac fly RBI by Josh Cryer and back-to-back RBI singles by Trey Martin and Hargis.
NSU got on the board in the bottom of the inning on a RBI double by Lyles and a two-run double by Roy to cut the lead to 7-3.
After both teams put up goose-eggs in the fourth and fifth innings, NSU got another run in the sixth on Lyles’ steal of home to make it 7-4. On that play, Baisley, who was at first, broke for second as a throwdown by the catcher was made. Lyles saw the opportunity to score and broke for home for his 34th steal of the season.
The Lions put things away in the eighth inning on back-to-back doubles, one that scored a run, followed by another run on a fielding error, then the third run scoring off a sacrifice fly.
