Pilots cruise past Crusaders 13-3 in eight innings
March 10, 2006
Shreveport, LA---The LSUS Pilots (10-7) scored 13 runs on 13 hits and used a complete game pitching performance by Matt Clayman (3-2) en route to a 13-3 win in eight innings over the William Carey College Crusaders (8-9) Friday night at Pilot Field.
The Crusaders struck first with a single run in the top of the first after Greg Alexander doubled to right field and then scored on a two out single Lance Brewer.
The Pilots answered immediately in their half of the first as Dustin Bissonnette led off with a triple to right center field and then scored on a ground ball to third from Dusty Maddox to tie the score at 1-1.
The two teams traded solo runs in the second inning, and WCC added another in the top of the third after Alexander connected on his second double of the game and then scored on an Elliot Burch single up the middle to take a 3-2 lead.
LSUS capitalized on three Crusader errors in the bottom of the fourth and scored two runs to take a 4-3 lead. The Pilots added two more in the fifth, and Tyler Williams belted a solo-homerun in the sixth which put the Pilots ahead 7-3.
Colin Moro led of the 7th with a double to center field and later scored on a bases loaded single by Pilots junior third baseman Bryan Cooksey. Brent Lavalee added an RBI single to score Jacob Watkins which stretched the Pilot lead to 10-3.
The Pilots loaded the bases in the bottom of the 8th and scored three runs on an RBI hit by pitch to Jeff Ledet, an RBI walk by Cooksey, and then ended the game by virtue of a 10 run mercy rule after a ground ball by Bissonnette was fielded and thrown away by Crusader shortstop Jerry Bourne which allowed Ledet to score and end the game.
Clayman completed 8.0 innings of work and scattered eight hits and collected five strikeouts to improve to 3-2 on the year. Bissonnette, Watkins, Cooksey, Williams, and Moro each collected two hits. Cooksey finished with a game high three RBI while Moro and Ledet scored three runs a piece.
“Matt gave us a tremendous pitching performance tonight. He threw strikes and did not walk a single hitter which allowed him to stay away from the big inning. Our offense did a tremendous job of hitting the ball to all fields tonight and we came out with a big win against a very tough Crusader team,” commented Pilots Head Coach Rocke Musgraves after Friday’s contest.
The Pilots and Crusaders will return to action Saturday afternoon at 2:00 for games two and three of the series. First pitch is slated for 2:00pm.
