Pilots complete series sweep over Texas College
March 12, 2011
TYLER, Tex. - The no. 13 LSU Shreveport Pilots baseball team combined for 23 hits in two games to sweep the Texas College Steers in a double header on Saturday. The Pilots smashed 13 hits taking game one by a final score of 16-9 and had 10 more in a 13-6 win in game two in Red River Athletic Conference play.
GAME 1, W 16-9
The Pilots got on the board first with an RBI-single from Kyle Pearson that plated Curtis Beaudoin who had been hit by a pitch earlier. The Steers rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a two-run lead as they got RBI-singles from Jhase Lane and Agustin Eriquez.
LSUS answered with a vengeance in the third inning bringing six across to score to extend the lead to 7-3 after two and a half. Kevin Smith had a two-run triple and Beaudoin later followed with an RBI-single to bring in Smith. The next batter, Justin Brodnax cleared the bases with a two-run triple and was later brought in on an RBI-single from Pearson.
The fourth inning saw two more runs come across for the visitors as Smith drove in two more with a single to extend the lead to 9-3. TC came back and answered with four runs of their own in the bottom half as Matt McEuen had an RBI-double and they got consecutive RBI-singles from Casey O'Reilly, Trey Evans, and Jonathan Petros to trim the Pilot lead to two, 9-7.
The Pilots got all four runs back in the fifth inning as Pearson drove in one with a double and Smith brought home two more with a single and then Stephen Hobbins single home another run to get back the six-run lead that had existed just an inning ago.
LSUS tacked on three more runs in the sixth with the highlight coming off the bat of Brouillette, a two-run double to left center as the Pilots led 16-7 after five and a half. TC pushed two across in the sixth with a two-run homer from Jeremy Bueno but it was not enough as neither team scored in the seventh.
Drew Middleton improved his record to 4-1 on the season as he tossed three and 2/3 allowing eight hits, six earned runs, and struck out two. Scott Petroski tossed an inning and 1/3 allowing only one hit and struck out one batter while Taylor Riggs pitched the final two innings allowing four hits and two runs.
Gordon (2-1) suffered the loss for TC as he allowed seven earned runs in 2 and 1/3 innings.
Brouillette was one for two with three walks and two RBIs while Kevin Smith continues his monster week with a three for four performance with six RBIs. Brodnax drove in two and was two for four while Pearson was three for five with three RBIs.
GAME 2, W 13-6
The Pilots scored early and often with two runs in the second inning and three more in the third. Manny Estrada had an RBI-single in the second while Curtis Beaudoin hit a two-run triple to center field in the third inning.
Shawn Moy highlighted the fourth inning with a three-double as the Pilots put six more on the board. Andrew Brouillette and Ridge Gonsoulin each drove in a run with a single to left field to take an 11-0 lead after three and a half.
The Pilot pitching staff struggled in the bottom of the fourth with four walks, two hit by pitches and a single that led to a five-run inning for the home team to cut the LSUS lead down to six, 11-5 after four.
TC got one more run that came in the sixth inning as Trey Evans singled home their final run of the game while the Pilots got single runs in the seventh and ninth innings. Smith drove in a run with a double in the seventh while he was also credited with the RBI in the ninth with a sac fly.
LSUS starter Ben Suit (4-2) picked up the win for the Pilots allowing six hits, six runs, five walks and struck out two batters. Cole Newell threw two innings and struck out two batters while Brodnax and Cade Bowen retired the final six batters of the game in the eighth and ninth. Bowen struck out two of the three batters he faced.
Jared Duncan (2-3) suffered the loss for TC as he allowed eight runs in three innings.
Estrada extended his hitting streak to 15 games as he went three for five with two RBIs while Brouillette was one for three with an RBI.
The TC pitching staff will be glad to see Smith leave town as he was no match for them. He was one for one with two runs driven in and was walked twice and hit once at the plate in the final game of the series while going an impressive eight for 10 at the plate with a double, a triple and nine RBIs. Dating back to Wednesday's game for the week he was 11 for 15 with a double, a triple, two homers, and an amazing 14 runs driven in.
Beaudoin drove in two runs after going two for five at the plate while Moy only needed one hit in four trips to drive in three runs.
The next game for the Pilots will be Tuesday afternoon at Pilot Field as they host the LSU Alexandria Generals in a double header that begins at 4:00 p.m.
RECORDS
LSU Shreveport (19-7, 12-0 RRAC)
Texas College (10-14, 4-8 RRAC)
