Southern just missed a sweep over the weekend at Arkansas-Pine Bluff but has one last chance to make up ground in Southwestern Athletic Conference play during the final week of the regular season.
First up is the final nonconference home game against UNO at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Lee-Hines Field. Expected bad weather Tuesday could affect that one.
Southern (23-25, 15-11) is mathematically eliminated from winning the SWAC West Division but could catch second-place Grambling (20-25, 17-8) by sweeping the Tigers in this weekend’s series that begins at 6 p.m. Thursday at Lee-Hines Field. Southern won all three games at Grambling last month.
Southern led UAPB in the ninth inning of the opener Friday but lost 7-6 on a walk-off, two-run single.
“We had to overcome some physical mistakes, but we got it done,” Jaguars coach Chris Crenshaw said of winning the series. "That’s how close it is sometimes between sweeping and winning the series. Sometimes it’s just when we’re going to get started, not if we’re going to get started. We got going and stayed in that groove.”
Marcus Sanders had two hits and two RBIs, keying a five-run first inning with a two-run single, in that Friday game. Tyeler Hawkins had a run-scoring double in the fourth to give the Jaguars a 6-2 lead, but Southern was blanked in the final five innings and finished with nine hits.
Ranard Grace pitched reasonably well but was knocked out after a three-run fifth inning cut the lead to 6-5. Grace allowed eight hits and struck out seven with one walk. Christian Davis allowed a two-run single in the ninth.
The Jaguars bounced back Saturday with 14 hits despite falling behind 5-2 after two innings. Southern scored five runs in each the fourth and fifth to take control and held off a late surge by the home team. Logan Sanders had a big day with three hits and four RBIs, keying the fourth inning with a two-run triple and the fifth with a two-run double.
Dylan Jones and Rashard Grace had three hits each, Khyle Radcliffe knocked in two runs, and KJ White had a run-scoring single and also stole home. Drew Lasseigne (5-3) got the win while Peyton Huff got the save by getting three outs in the ninth with the help of Southern’s third double play after the Lions scored twice.
Southern took the series with an 18-hit attack in Sunday’s finale, jumping ahead 10-3 and then scoring six more in the final four innings. White had three hits and three RBIs while Logan and Marcus Sanders each had three hits and two RBIs. Hawkins had his team-leading ninth home run and had two hits and two RBIs, as did Khyle Radcliffe.
Nick Luckett (1-4) got his first win of the season with help from Antoine Harris, who pitched two scoreless innings in relief, and Jerry Burkett, who pitched one.
UNO (29-21) is a game and a half out of first place in the Southland Conference and is riding a four-game winning streak. The Privateers beat Southern, 12-2, on March 26 in New Orleans.
Outfielder Mitchell Sanford is having a big year, leading the team with a .390 batting average, 14 homers and 64 RBIs. Catcher Miguel Useche is batting .352 with five homers and 43 RBIs.