Crusaders escape bases loaded jam in 9th to avoid season sweep
April 16, 2007
Shreveport, LA---The LSUS Pilots (33-10, 18-6) failed to capitalize on a bases loaded one out situation in the 9th inning of game three against the William Carey University Crusaders(19-22, 11-13) who escaped with a 10-8 victory to avoid the season sweep by the Pilots.
The Crusaders took no time to get to Pilots starter Matt Clayman in game one. With one out, Adrian Hibler blooped a double that caught the inside of the field foul line, and scored on a two out RBI single by Elliot Burch giving the Crusaders a 1-0 lead.
The Crusaders added to their lead in the 2nd without virtue of a hit. Clayman hit Chris Williams to leadoff the inning. After an infield ground out, Clayman struck out Martin Roark for the second out of the inning, but fell victim of a wild throw from Pilots shortstop Brandon Magierowski after fielding a groundball from David Trisler which allowed Williams to score from third base.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the 2nd, Andrew Blubaugh delivered a two out RBI single which scored Magierowski from 3rd base, cutting the lead to 2-1.
The Pilots right hander however struggled through the 3rd inning which began after a leadoff walk to Steven Johnson. Burch followed with his second hit of the game in the form of an RBI triple to deep right-center field and scored one batter later after a Clayman curveball offering found its way to the backstop giving Carey a 4-1 lead.
The LSUS offense had combined for 32 runs in the previous two games but were held to just two hits in the first three innings by WCC starter Josh Troxclair. A leadoff walk to Pilots catcher Brent Lavallee which was followed by a Magierowski single to left field sparked a 10 run outburst by the Pilots who combined five walks and four hits including a three-run homerun by Quenton Shamsabady.
WCC added two runs in the 6th off Pilots reliever Blake Pinkston to cut the lead to 11-6. The Pilots were two outs away from a game one victory but a power failure knocked out the lights and forced the conclusion of the 7th inning to be completed Sunday afternoon.
Pilots reliever Victor Hernandez retired the Crusaders in order to begin Sundays three game set, preserving the Pilots 11-6 lead.
In game two the Pilots capitalized on seven WCC errors and belted 12 hits including 3-for-5 performances from Shamsabady and Frye en route to a 9-6 victory.
The Pilots erased a four run 1st inning deficit in the series finale by scoring two runs in the bottom of the 1st and three more in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The Pilots extended their lead to 7-5 with a two run 6th inning, but the Crusaders responded with a five run outburst which was highlighted by an RBI triple from Pat Barnes.
Trailing 10-7 in the bottom of the 9th, the Pilots led off with back-to-back singles from Stebbings and Frye which was the beginning of a potential come from behind victory. LSUS scored a solo run after an errant throw by Johnson on a double play attempt allowed Stebbings to score from second cutting the lead to 10-8.
WCC starter Lance Brewer issued back-to-back walks to Lavallee and Magierowski, but responded by striking out Shamsabady with his 147th pitch of the ballgame for the second out. Pinch hitter Scott Talley waved at a two strike curveball offering marking Brewer’s second strikeout of the game which put an end to the Pilots comeback bid.
Brewer (5-2) threw 153 pitches in the complete game effort. He allowed eight runs on hits while walking eight and hitting two LSUS batters. Barnes led the Crusaders offense with a 3-for-5 performance which included a triple, and RBI and a run scored.
Paul Marlow suffered the loss in relief (1-2) after allowing four runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings of work. Stebbings, Shamsabady, and Frye each collected two hits and two RBI in the losing effort.
