HAMMOND, La. (Interstat) — In a back-and-forth affair defined by late-inning fireworks, Southeastern Louisiana rallied to edge Grambling 10-9 in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.

The Lions, who won the series opener 13-3 on Friday, improved to 9-7. The Tigers fell to 4-10.

Grambling appeared to seize control with a three-run top of the eighth inning, taking a 9-8 lead. After reliever Mo loaded the bases with one out, Chase Ambrose entered and allowed a bases-clearing double to left fielder Cameron Hill, scoring Julio Vasquez Sanzsole, pinch runner Braxton and batter Johnson.

The lead was short-lived. In the bottom of the frame, Grambling reliever Smith issued a leadoff walk to pinch runner Perry. The next batter, pinch-hitter Blaise Priester, connected for a two-run homer to left field, his second of the season, to put the Lions back ahead 10-9. It was the decisive blow in a game that saw five lead changes.

The contest began as a defensive struggle, with both starters working around trouble. Southeastern Louisiana’s Blake Lobell allowed two earned runs over four innings, scattering four hits. Grambling’s Keyon Guillory was charged with five earned runs over 5 1/3 innings, though he surrendered just four hits while struggling with command and defensive support.

The Lions struck first, capitalizing on a Grambling error in the opening inning. Ben Robichaux reached on a throwing error, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Cuff. Licciardi later scored on a sacrifice fly by Peyton Woods to make it 2-0.

Grambling answered in the second, taking advantage of a Lions error. A two-out rally, highlighted by an RBI single from Vasquez Sanzsole and a run-scoring single from SoukupII,Daniel, plated three runs, two unearned, for a 3-2 lead.

Southeastern Louisiana tied it in the second on an RBI double from Robichaux and went ahead 4-3 in the third on an RBI single from Justin Williams. Grambling tied it at 4-4 in the fourth on an RBI hit from SoukupII,Daniel.

The Tigers’ biggest swing prior to the eighth came in the sixth. After Martin singled and advanced on a wild pitch, Vasquez Sanzsole launched a two-run homer to left center, his first of the season, to give Grambling a 6-4 advantage. The catcher finished 3 for 4 with three RBIs.

The Lions responded immediately in the bottom of the sixth, chasing Guillory. They scored three runs on four hits, including an RBI single from pinch-hitter Polk and an RBI double from pinch-hitter Little, to reclaim a 7-6 lead. Nick Robinson entered for Grambling and recorded the final two outs of the inning to limit the damage.

Southeastern Louisiana added a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Williams to make it 8-6, setting the stage for the dramatic final two innings.

Following Priester’s go-ahead homer in the eighth, Ambrose returned to pitch a scoreless ninth, securing the victory. He allowed one hit over 1 1/3 innings of relief to earn the win.

Hill’s three RBIs paced the Grambling offense, which managed eight hits. The Lions collected 12 hits, with Williams going 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Woods adding two hits and an RBI.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the eighth inning. After Grambling’s three-run top half had shifted momentum firmly to the visitors, the Lions’ immediate counterpunch proved decisive. The leadoff walk to Perry set the table, and Priester, batting for the first time in the game, delivered the game-winning two-run homer on the first pitch he saw from new reliever Hill. This two-play span encapsulated the game’s volatile nature, erasing Grambling’s hard-earned lead in a matter of moments and ultimately deciding the contest.