Pilots blank Blazers 10-0 in 7 innings
April 21, 2006
Shreveport, LA---The LSUS Pilots (30-18, 15-10) played host to the 15th ranked Belhaven College Blazers (33-15, 16-9) Friday night at Pilot Field looking to make some ground in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular season standings. The Pilots did just that with a 10-0 mercy rule win after 7 innings.
Kevin Jewell (6-1) took the mound for the Pilots, squaring off against Blazers right hander Brad Fultz (6-2) under the Friday night lights. Jewell set the tone in the top of the 1st with a perfect inning.
Fultz however did not have the answer as the Pilots belted four hits in their half of the 1st leading to an early 2-0 lead thanks to RBI singles by Dusty Maddox and Colin Moro.
Maddox struck again in the bottom of the 3rd with his team leading 9th homerun of the season stretching the Pilot lead to 3-0.
The Blazers created their biggest threat of the game in the top of the 5th loading the bases with no out. Jewell however collected back-to-back strikeouts against Matt Schane and David Gilbert, and forced Thomas Royals to ground out to Pilot shortstop Brandon Magierowski to end the inning.
Blazers third baseman Ricky Owens singled to left with one out and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Buddy Wyrick. With two out, Shane Anderson laced a ground ball down the third base line that was destined for extra bases before Pilots junior third baseman Bryan Cooksey made a dazzling defensive play and threw out Anderson at first, keeping the Blazers off the board.
Cooksey followed with a two out RBI single up the middle that scored Colin Moro to stretch the Pilot lead to 4-0.
Jewell held the Blazers at bay through seven innings scattering six hits and two walks while collecting a season high nine strikeouts before the Pilot offense delivered the final blow in the bottom of the 7th.
The Pilots belted six hits and scored six runs which was highlighted by a bases loaded game winning two RBI single to center field off the bat of Cooksey which enforced the 10 run mercy rule, and the Pilots took game one of the three game set 10-0.
Six Pilots collected multi-hit games including a 3-4 performance by Maddox which included three runs scored and two RBI. Tyler Williams and Magierowski also collected three hits a piece, while Moro added a 2-3 performance with two runs scored and two RBI. Cooksey finished his best game of the year with a 2-4 effort and three RBI while turning in a perfect 5-5 effort on the defensive end including two outstanding diving efforts.
Fultz was tagged with the loss after 6.0 innings of work in which he scattered 10 hits and allowed four runs. Anderson was the lone Blazer with two hits which included a 5th inning double.
With the win the Pilots pulled within one game of the Blazers in the conference standings heading into tomorrows double header. Game two is scheduled for 2:00pm, with game three following approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game two.
