Bats Come Alive Against GSU: Southern captures first SWAC series win in more than a decade

Saturday afternoon, a baseball game took place at Lee Hines Field between two teams who seemed to be poised for better seasons. The game was against archrival Grambling State. The two teams were decked out in their Negro League uniforms, paying homage to barriers torn down with their baseball abilities. Southern entered the match at (4-15) and Grambling came into the doubleheader at (4-19). Santos Saldivar was on the mound for SU. He came into Saturday’s contest at (0-5). SU Pitching coach Dan Canevari had to light a fire under Saldivar before he pitched in game one of the double header.
“Coach Canevari told me in front of the team that I’m not as good as I think I am because I’m 0-5,” said Saldivar. A fire was blazing under Saldivar Saturday afternoon. He responded to his coach by throwing a gem. He struck out career high 13 batters and pitched a complete game. The Jags tamed the Tigers in the first game 10-1 behind Saldivar’s pitching. The rest of the caught onto Saldivar’s flame as well. As a lineup that only had three batters hitting over three hundred and under 10 homeruns showed some promise.
SU was holding on to a meager 2-1 lead before senior outfielder D.J. Wallace blasted a two run homer and senior outfielder Tyler Kirksey brought in two runs with a double. Wallace hammered a curveball that a Tiger pitcher tried to sneak past him and he just went with it. The tigers added to the Jaguar’s scoring onslaught by committing four errors in the bottom of the seventh. The Jags led 9-1 after the seventh inning was over. SU would score one more run to ensure a comeback was impossible.
The hits kept coming in the second game of the doubleheader. Jose de la Torre and Robinson Mateo both homered in the second matchup. Senior outfielder Gavin Webster drove one out of the park which; a towering home run which ricocheted of the scoreboard. The Jags kept GSU’s bats at bay for nearly the whole game; they led 6-2 until the top of the eighth inning. The Tigers’ Jaiden France started the inning off with a double; and Robert Lopez drove him in on an RBI single. SU’s James Fontenot had his strikeout pitch working as well. He struck out nine GSU batters, pitched six innings, and gave up one lone run.
A bit of erratic pitching would make the second match much more interesting than the first. After Jamaun Banks pitched a scoreless seventh for the Jags, he gave up one run and was relived by Ryan Flynn. Flynn gave up another run on a double-play grounder and Rafeal Diaz came in for him. Diaz surrendered one run and finally ended the inning by striking out the Tiger’s Angel Peguero.
The Jags would go on their own scoring run as well. Diaz gained some run support in the bottom of the eighth, when senior outfielder Lance Jones brought home two runs off of a triple. Kirksey would drive in Jones with an RBI single. The Jags would score three in the bottom of the eighth to seal the sweep of the doubleheader. The one thing that lacked for much of the early season seemed to show some life, the hitting. The Jags improved to 5-15 and 4-6 in conference play. They will be set to travel to Lake Charles to face in state opponent McNeese State Tuesday, March 31.