HAMMOND, La. (Interstat) — Southeastern Louisiana rallied with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, capped by catcher Blaise Priester’s walk-off home run, to defeat Houston Christian 3-2 on Thursday night at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.

The Lions erased a one-run deficit in their final at-bat, improving to 31-19 overall and securing a Southland victory. The Huskies fell to 23-28.

Southeastern Louisiana starter Blake Lobell delivered a strong outing, working 6 2/3 innings while allowing five hits, two earned runs and striking out four. He did not factor in the decision after leaving with a 2-1 lead. Lobell came off a dominant performance May 2 against Lamar in which he threw seven shutout innings with five strikeouts.

Houston Christian starter Ben Smith was equally impressive, tossing seven innings of no-hit baseball before being lifted. Smith allowed one earned run and struck out nine, leaving with a 2-1 lead after the top of the seventh. His only blemish came in the second inning when Lions shortstop Connor Cuff doubled to center field, driving in a run that tied the game at 1.

The Huskies struck first in the top of the second. Levi Castilleja singled, and after a strikeout, Jackson Walker delivered a two-run single to shallow center field, scoring two runs and giving Houston Christian a 2-1 lead.

Southeastern Louisiana threatened in the fourth when Cuff doubled again, but Smith escaped with a strikeout and a groundout to preserve the lead. The Lions went quietly in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, managing only one hit total over that span.

Houston Christian had opportunities to add to its lead. In the seventh, the Huskies loaded the bases with one out, but reliever Logan Freche entered and struck out a batter to end the inning. Freche worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out three.

Southeastern Louisiana tied the game in the bottom of the ninth after Houston Christian reliever Louis Castano entered. Castano allowed two earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. Lions leadoff batter Cuff doubled to right center to start the inning. Pinch hitter Cole Licciardi laid down a bunt single, advancing Cuff to third. With one out, second baseman Bryce Watts reached on a fielder’s choice, allowing Cuff to score and knotting the game at 2. Watts was retired on the play.

Priester then stepped to the plate and crushed a walk-off home run to left center, his ninth of the season, scoring Watts and ending the game. Priester finished 1-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs.

Cuff led the Lions at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Louis Castilleja had two hits for the Huskies, and Jackson Walker drove in two runs.

The game was the fourth meeting this season between the Southland rivals. Southeastern Louisiana had won the previous three matchups in Hammond from April 24-26, outscoring Houston Christian 28-4 in that series. The Huskies entered Thursday’s contest having won their previous game against Sam Houston, while the Lions had dropped their most recent game to Lamar.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Southeastern Louisiana 7, Houston Christian 5, and the ELO system gave the Lions a 69.50 percent probability to win.