MOBILE, Ala. — Southeastern Louisiana’s Kyle Cedotal and Gage Pickett combined on a 5-0 shutout of South Alabama baseball Tuesday night at Eddie Stanky Field.
The loss was the Jaguars’ third straight and their fourth consecutive defeat in non-conference play. South Alabama fell to 16-20 on the season, while the Lions improved to 24-13.
Cedotal Goes a Career-High 7 1/3 Innings
Cedotal pitched a career-best 7 1/3 innings, allowing three hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Pickett finished the game with 1 2/3 innings of relief, striking out three and walking two.
Gates Takes the Loss
South Alabama starter Jared Gates (1-4) allowed one run on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings, with five strikeouts and two walks.
Southeastern Louisiana scored that run in the top of the second. A leadoff single and a stolen base put a runner at second, and a two-out RBI single brought him home for a 1-0 lead.
Lions Pull Away Late
The Lions added two runs in the top of the seventh. A one-out walk was followed by a hit-and-run single through the left side that sent the runner to third, and he scored on a wild pitch by Matt Bell. A two-out RBI double down the right-field line made it 3-0.
Southeastern Louisiana loaded the bases with one out in the eighth on back-to-back singles and a walk, then scored twice on an RBI single to center and an RBI groundout to shortstop.
Sun Belt Tournament Race
South Alabama travels to Western Kentucky this weekend for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series. The Jaguars, who host the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, are 6-8 in league play and hold the eighth and final tournament spot, ahead of Georgia State (5-10) and Arkansas-Little Rock (3-12).
Sun Belt standings (overall, conference):
- 1. Louisiana-Lafayette (34-4, 14-1)
- 2. Arkansas State (20-16, 10-5)
- T3. Texas State (19-17, 8-7)
- T3. UT Arlington (16-20, 8-7)
- T5. Western Kentucky (19-17, 7-8)
- T5. Louisiana-Monroe (16-22, 7-8)
- 7. Troy (19-18, 6-8)
- 8. South Alabama (16-20, 6-8)
- 9. Georgia State (17-20, 5-10)
- 10. Arkansas-Little Rock (13-20, 3-12)
