Pilots crush AUM in finals to head to Avista World Series
May 15, 2011
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The no. 6 LSU Shreveport Pilots baseball team are heading back to the Avista-World Series for the second time in school history as they defeated the Auburn University at Montgomery Senators at the AUM Baseball Complex by a final score of 32-7 in the Championship Game in the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round.
LSUS set a National Championship Opening Round single-game record by scoring 32 runs in the 32-7 smashing of No. 2-seeded Auburn Montgomery (Ala.). The Pilots scored at least three runs in each of the first six innings to take a 27-2 lead en route to the Montgomery (Ala.) Bracket Championship. They will make their first World Series trip since 2003 and second overall. The old scoring record was 28 runs, set by Lubbock Christian (Texas) in 2009.
LSUS (45-13) feasted on a depleted pitching staff in the finals hitting five homeruns as a team. Michael Diffie's three-run homer in the top of the second inning gave the Pilots a commanding 7-0 lead.
Shawn Moy and Curtis Beaudoin hit back-to-back solo shots to lead-off third inning and Moy later hit a grandslam in the right-run fifth for the Pilots. Allen Degges later added his first home run of the season, a three-run shot in the sixth.
AUM (42-19) used up every arm they could to try and slow down the offensive attack by the Pilots as they used a total of eight different pitchers including a few position players. Wes Cook (8-4) suffered the loss as he allowed seven earned runs in two innings pitched.
Cody Boutte (6-2) picked up the win for the Pilots as he tossed six innings scattering 11 hits, three runs, one walk, and four strike outs. Jared Mata, Scott Petroski, and Cole Newell each threw an inning in relief.
Estrada was two for seven with three RBIs while Andrew Brouillette was four for six with two runs batted in. Kevin Smith was a perfect four for four with three RBIs as Chase Wentz drove in two and was one for three. Degges was two for three with three RBIs while Diffie was one for one with four RBIs.
Kyle Pearson was two for four with four RBIs while Moy was three for seven with six RBIs and Justin Brodnax was two for four.
"I am so proud of our guys, they have worked so hard all year long and everything came together at the right time. They are in for a treat when we go to Idaho," said LSUS head coach Rocke Musgraves.
The Pilots advance to the Avista-NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, at Harris Field and will play on Friday, May 27, with the time and opponent to be determined sometime on Monday.
