Baseball Completes Sweep of Loyola
February 28, 2009
SHREVEPORT, La. – No. 10 LSUS completed their three-game sweep of Loyola with 9-2 and 14-4 victories in Saturday’s doubleheader at Pilot Field.
Game One – LSUS 9, Loyola 2
LSUS pitcher John James picked up his NAIA-leading sixth win of the season and Andrew Blubaugh drove in three runs as the Pilots defeated the Wolfpack 9-2 in the first game on the afternoon.
Loyola jumped in front of the Pilots with a run in the top of the second, but the LSUS offense responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning and would never trail again in the contest. LSUS added two more runs in the fifth and put the game out of reach with a four-run sixth.
Jeffrey Garidel had a perfect game at the plate for the Pilots, finished 2-for-2 with two singles and two walks.
Andrew Brouillette and Quinton Shamsabady each had two hits and an RBI in the win. Shamsabady doubled twice in the game, while Brouillette also collected a double.
Stephen Hobbins also drove in two runs in the game.
James threw six strong innings on the mound for the home team, allowing just two runs on three hits. Loyola only threatened one time in the contest, but James battled out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth to keep the Wolfpack out of striking distance.
Game Two – LSUS 14, Loyola 4
Brandon Bravata went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored and Mason Free pitched two scoreless innings in relief to earn his second win of the season as the Pilots run-ruled Loyola 14-4 in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Loyola scored four runs in the top of the third on just two hits to jump in front of the Pilots 4-0 early. Matt Wendt drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single, and the other two runs came via sacrifice fly and a balk by Gino Spratley.
LSUS got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on a Chase Wentz two-run double, and Bubba Jordan followed up with an RBI single to drive in Wentz as LSUS cut the Wolfpack lead down to 4-3.
The Pilots took the lead in the fifth when they scored three more runs to go ahead 6-4. Bravata doubled to leadoff the inning and then Quinton Shamsabady reached safely on a bunt single. After an error allowed Andrew Brouillette to reach base safely, Bravata and Shamsabady both scored on back-to-back wild pitches by Loyola’s Andre Laiche for the fourth and fifth Pilot runs of the game. Garidel then hit a sacrifice fly to score the Pilots’ sixth run.
Loyola loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth, but LSUS reliever Scott Petroski got Brien Delahoussaye to ground out into an inning ending double play to end the Wolfpack threat.
LSUS scored eight runs in the bottom of the eighth to close out the game, with three runs coming on a three-run double off the bat of Stephen Hobbins and two runs on a single by pinch hitter David Bradley. Garidel and Brouillette also added RBIs in the inning, as the Pilots increased their lead to 13-4. Garidel scored the final run of the contest on a wild pitch.
LSUS (19-3, 14-1) will go for their 20th win of the season tomorrow afternoon when they take on the No. 6 Bellvue Bruins in a 3:00 P.M. match-up at Pilot Field.
