Salmen scored three runs in the second inning, added another in the third on Justin Viger’s leadoff home run and then relied on sophomore Jason Hursey’s tough pitching to help get them to a 4-2 victory over Slidell Tuesday at Fritchie Park.

Tuesday’s game featured two great pitching performances as Hursey and Slidell’s Randal Meyer each tossed a complete game.

For Salmen (4-10), Hursey allowed six hits, while striking out six and walking just two. This season, Hursey (2-3) has a 3.50 earned run average with 23 strikeouts and just seven walks in 24 innings this season.

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Hursey said it was probably his best outing this season.

“I had to work hard for it,” Hursey said. “It doesn’t come cheap. I had to have my defense behind me (one error), keep the strike zone tight and then everything else just went from there.”

Hursey said his slider was working the best. His catcher Viger said Hursey did well.

“He was just keeping everything on the outside corner, keeping it close, making them chase,” Viger said. “His slider was working. It looked real good and they kept chasing it, trying to pull it.”

Viger said it was breaking out and late. Hursey got 11 groundball outs.

On the Slidell (7-6) side, Meyer surrendered just one earned run on five hits with six strikeouts and he did not walk a batter. Meyer struck out the side in the fourth inning.

First year coach Mike Alexander said Meyer threw well.

“He made one mistake and the kid (Viger) hit it a long way,” Alexander said. “The three runs in the other inning (second) were a result of three errors in the same inning. He threw outstanding.”

Salmen got on the board during the third inning. Jordan Nunez reached on a two-base error to start. Following a strikeout, Jeremy Breland came through with a run-scoring single to right field to make it 1-0. An error allowed Mitch Genesi to get aboard and Breland got to third, setting up Dimitri Willis, who got an RBI single to right and it was 2-0. The third miscue of the frame allowed another run to cross, giving the Spartans a 3-0 edge through two.

In the third, Salmen tacked on another. Viger led off. Facing a 1-1 count, he got hold of one and belted it over the left-field fence for his first home run this season. The long ball upped the Spartans’ lead to 4-0.

“He threw me an inside fastball and I fouled it off. I was a little late on it,” Viger said. “I was expecting the same thing, he threw me an inside change and I just got around on it. Before I got up there coach (Glen) Salter was like, he’s going to come inside on you, just rip it. That’s what I did.”

Viger said he knew he hit it hard, but wasn’t sure if he got enough, so he was hustling.

That was all Hursey needed. He got himself out of three jams with minimal or no damage. Slidell had runners on the corners with one out in the second, but Hursey came back with a strikeout and a groundout. The Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but back-to-back strikeouts ended that.

In the sixth, Slidell broke through and cut the lead in half. Meyer started with a double. Cameron Charbonnet’s RBI single to left, plated Meyer. Later in the frame, Ricky Secrist produced an RBI groundout to make it 4-2.

Hursey retired Slidell in order in the seventh for his second win.