Pilots dominate no. 15 Belhaven
February 11, 2012
JACKSON, Miss. - The no. 6 LSU Shreveport Pilots pounded out 19 hits in their 11-3 thumping of the no. 15 Belhaven Blazers on Saturday afternoon at Smith-Wills Stadium in the final game of the 2012 Belhaven Invitational.LSUS (6-0) put a four spot on the board in the first inning after five hits came in the inning and then increased their lead by two more with two runs on two hits in the second inning to take a 6-0 and they never let the Blazers back into the contest. The Pilots left 13 runners on base while the Blazers stranded 10.
Logan Norris (2-0) allowed just one hit through the first four innings of the game and had a hiccup in the fifth allowing the Blazers the only three runs of the game as they touched him for three doubles in the inning. Norris though cooled off the rally and pitched a scoreless sixth inning. On the day Norris allowed just two earned runs on seven hits walking three and striking out four. His sinking fastball induced five ground-ball outs including two double plays.
Greg Friesen led the charge for the Pilots pounding four hits in five trips to the plate with a pair of doubles while Tyler Alton had three hits in five trips as he drove in two and scored twice. LSUS had five other hitters with multi-hits.
Friesen's RBI-double led to the first run of the game followed by RBI-singles from Manny Estrada and David Dorton. Kade Billeaudeaux also drove in a run in the first with a groundout to second base. Kyle Pearson drove in a run with a big double to center field to lead the rally in the Pilots' two-run second inning.
Belhaven (7-3) did not have much to get excited about with Norris blanking them in the first four innings and even after their three-run fifth inning they could not get back in the game. The Blazers had just two hitters with multi-hits as second baseman Jason Hicks was a perfect four of four while Jamie Bruno had two hits in three trips.
The Pilots got the runs back they allowed to the Blazers with a three-run sixth scoring a pair of runs on stolen bases and the other driven in by Tyler Alton on a base hit to left center.
LSUS used two pitchers out of the bullpen as Brandon Russell worked a scoreless seventh and eighth while Ben Suit tossed a scoreless ninth inning. The Pilots' bullpen has yet to allow a run in 14 innings so far this season while only surrendering a handful of hits.
The Blazers used five different pitchers with the starter Allen Johnson (1-2) suffering the loss after allowing seven earned runs in five innings of work as the Pilots roughed him up with 13 hits.
The next game for the Pilots will begin their Red River Athletic Conference play with a three-game series against Wiley College. The first game of the series will be at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16, at Pilot Field with a double header to follow on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Pilots look to defend their regular season championship in the RRAC from a year ago.
