HAMMOND, La. – HBU loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but could not get the tying run across as Southeastern held on for a 6-5 win over the Huskies in the Southland Conference series opener Friday night at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
Junior first baseman Brennen Bales went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and scored a run, while senior leftfielder Jake Miller was 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI for HBU (18-29, 11-8 SLC). Junior third baseman Reed Chumley extended his hitting streak to eight games and scored a run and junior rightfielder Logan Letney scored twice.
 
Senior lefthander Austin Spinney gave up four runs on three hits in the first 2.2 innings. Junior righthander Will Ripoll (1-6) took the loss, allowing two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings and junior righthander Chad Ricker threw three shutout innings in relief.
 
Shea Thomas homered and drove in a pair and Preston Faulkner was 1-for-1 with three walks, an RBI and a run for SLU (20-25, 10-9). Evan Keller went 2-for-3 with a hit by pitch and scored twice and Rhett Rosevear was 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run.
 
Adam Guth (3-1) earned the win, allowing four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walk in five innings. Gage Trahan notched his eighth save of the season, despite allowing a hit, a walk and a hit by pitch in the ninth.
 
The Lions jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first on Faulkner's RBI single and Thomas' two-run shot to right. SLU tacked on a run in the third on Faulkner's sacrifice fly to extend the lead to four.
 
Bales doubled and scored on Miller's RBI single in the fourth, then the Huskies scored three in the fifth, capped by junior catcher Kevin Ortiz's RBI single to tie the game, 4-4.
 
SLU answered right back in the bottom half on Rosevear's RBI double and a sacrifice fly by Tyler Finke to make the score 6-4.
 
Junior Connor Fremin delivered a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth for HBU to cut the deficit to one.
 
Ortiz was hit by a pitch to lead off the ninth, then Bales grounded out to send him to second. Junior Caleb Munton drew a pinch walk, then Miller singled to left to load the bases. Letney struck out, then junior shortstop Diego Davila popped up to end the game.
 
The Huskies remain tied for first after Nicholls and McNeese both lost as well on Friday, with SLU and Northwestern State moving to within a game back.
 
The series continues with a 2 p.m. first pitch Saturday.