Pilots complete series sweep of Bacone
February 26, 2011
SHREVEPORT, La. - The no. 13 LSU Shreveport Pilots baseball team had to come from behind to win the first game of the double header as they scored the game's final seven runs in their last two at bats for the 9-8 walk-off win and handed the Bacone College Warriors the second ten-run rule of the series in game two by a final score of 15-5 in 8 innings at Pilot Field on Saturday.
GAME 1, W 9-8
Bacone scored six runs on five hits in the top of the first inning to take a commanding lead but three of the runs should never have scored. The bases were loaded with two outs when a routine ground ball hit the field umpire allowing all base runners to reach the next base on the dead ball. The next batter was walked to force in a run and then the next batter hit a two-run single which all could have been avoided if the Pilots were able to field the grounder that hit the umpire to end the inning.
The Pilots trimmed away one of those runs as Manny Estrada hit the first pitch he saw over the left field wall to give the Pilots their first run of the game and cut the Bacone lead to five, 6-1. The Warriors got the run back in the third inning to take a 7-1 lead after four and a half innings of play.
Chase Wentz led off the fifth inning with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Kevin Smith to put the Bacone lead at 8-2 after five innings. The Pilot got to within two with four runs in the bottom of the sixth as Shawn Moy (SAC Fly), Allen Degges (double), Wentz (triple) and Andrew Brouillette (single) all drove in runs.
The moment of truth came down to the bottom of the seventh with the Pilots down 8-6. LSUS had gotten plenty of hits to this point of the game but three double plays throughout the game killed what could have been of some run-scoring rallies.
Curtis Beaudoin led off the inning with a double to deep centerfield and then moved to third on Cody Causey's single to left. Justin Brodnax then drove in Beaudoin to cut the lead to one and put the winning run on the bases. Moy then battled the new pitcher for an nine-pitch at bat to draw the walk and advance the winning run into scoring position with no outs.
The outfield for Bacone was forced in as Allen Degges crushed a double over the left fielders head to score the winning runs to complete the comeback for the Pilots as they trailed 8-2 just an inning ago.
Wentz was three for four with an RBI while Smith was a perfect three for three with an RBI. Causey had two hits in three trips to the plate while Brodnax and Moy were both two for two with an RBI. Degges finished the game with three RBIs and was two for three at the plate.
Jacob Kight (1-0) pounded the strike zone as he picked up his first win of the year after an inning and a third of relief work. He fanned three batters and did not allow a hit or a run. Brandon Jackson (0-3) took the loss for Bacone.
GAME 2, W 15-5
The Pilots blasted five home runs to ten run the Warriors for the second time in three games. Bacone scored one in the first but the Pilots put four on the board in the bottom of the inning with Beaudoin's two-run triple being the highlight of the inning.
Wentz hit a solo homer in the second for the only run that inning as the Pilots led 5-1 after two. Bacone rallied in the third as John Freese's two-run singled tied the game at five. LSUS answered with five runs over the next two innings with three home runs: a two-run shot from Causey and a solo shot from Beaudoin in the third inning and a two-run bomb from Smith in the fourth.
LSUS tacked on two more runs in the sixth thanks to an RBI-double by Kyle Pearson and an RBI-triple from Michael Diffie. The Pilots tacked on the final three runs of the game in the bottom of the eighth to insure the ten-run rule. Brouillette led off the inning with a solo homer and Taylor Riggs drove in a run with a single to center. Beaudoin then brought in the clinching run with a double to left to win the game for the Pilots.
Wentz was two for three with a RBI while Smith drove in two runs and was one for one. Causey was one for three with three RBIs. Diffie was one of two with a RBI and Beaudoin was three for four with four RBIs.
Cody Boutte (2-0) picked up the win for the Pilots after five innings in which he allowed eight hits, five runs, no walks and eight strikeouts. Drew Middleton and Cade Bowen finished the game on the mound for the Pilots. Middleton tossed two innings and struck out four batters while Bowen fanned two in one inning of work.
The next game for the Pilots will be on Tuesday at Southern Arkansas University at 6:30 p.m. The next game at Pilot Field will be next Friday with a double header against the University of the Southwest at 4:00 p.m.
