HAMMOND, La. – HBU junior righthander
Curtis Jones went the distance for the second time this season, and also went 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs, as the Huskies clinched the Southland Conference series with a 7-1 victory over Southeastern Louisiana Sunday afternoon at Pat Kennelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Jones (2-1) allowed one run on six hits and struck out two without a walk in nine innings for the Huskies (14-10, 5-4 SLC).
Senior leftfielder
Jordan McCoy went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run, while senior first baseman
Bradley Brown went 2-for-4 and scored a run for HBU. Junior centerfielder
Zach Nehrir wingled and drove in three for the Huskies, and junior second baseman
Josh Martinez extended his hitting streak to six games.
Kyle Cecotal had as many hits as the rest of his teammates combined, going 3-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base for the SELA (16-11, 5-4). Andrew Godbold scored the only run for the Lions, as they were held to six hits, which were all singles.
Kyle Keller (2-2) took the loss, giving up four runs on four hits, striking out one and walking two in 3.2 innings.
The Huskies broke open a scoreless tie with a two-out, four-run rally in the top of the fourth inning. Martinez got it started with a one-out single to right, then Jones flied out. After Brown singled, Wiggins walked to load the bases, then McCoy delivered and RBI single to left for the game's first run. Nehrir followed with a two-run single to left, then McCoy scored on a balk to put HBU ahead, 4-0.
HBU scored two more two-out runs in the seventh, when Clay and Jarvis singled then scored on a two-run single by Jones to make the score, 6-0.
Godbold was hit by a pitch to lead off the seventh, then Daniel Midyett and Brett Hoffman singled to load the bases with no outs. Cedotal singled to cut the Huskies' lead to 6-1, but Jones got Kennon Menard to fly out to shallow right and Kevin Carr bounced into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.
In the eighth, Wiggins reached and went to second on errors, then McCoy singled to center. Nehrir reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Wiggins to score and put HBU up, 7-1.
The Huskies have played four-straight on the road and will play four more away from home this week, as they face Prairie View A&M Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Prairie View, before traveling to take on McNeese State in a three-game Southland Conference series in Lake Charles, La., over the weekend.
