Pilots down no. 1 Cumberland
March 09, 2011
SHREVEPORT, La. - The no. 13 LSU Shreveport Pilots baseball team defeated the no. 1 Cumberland Bulldogs on Wednesday afternoon at Pilot Field by a final score of 9-4.
The first two innings of the game was scoreless until the Pilots (16-7) came to bat in the third inning. After two quick outs Justin Brodnax singled to left and Andrew Brouillette walked on four straight to set the table for Kevin Smith who did not disappoint. Smith hit his seventh homer of the season to give the Pilots a 3-0 lead.
Cumberland (14-6), the defending national champions, trimmed the Pilot lead down to one in the fifth inning with a solo homer from Greg Appleton and then back-to-doubles from Cory Farris and Mike Mandarino to bring the club within a run of the Pilots until LSUS got a turn in the bottom of the inning.
The Pilots lit up the defending champs for six runs on six hits to take a commanding 9-2 lead after five complete innings of play. Brodnax started the inning with a single to left and then Smith hit his second home run of the day. Shawn Moy drove in a run with a double and Ridge Gonsoulin then brought him in with a single. Michael Diffie and Manny Estrada followed with an RBI-singles for the big inning.
The Bulldogs got two runs in the top of the ninth but it was not enough as the Pilots handed the no. 1 team in the nation their sixth loss of the season and third straight.
Jared Mata (3-2) kept the opposition off balance as he picked up the win going eight strong innings allowing only two earned runs and struck out seven batters. Logan Neal (0-1) suffered the loss for Cumberland as he allowed seven earned runs in four and 2/3.
Smith led the way for the Pilots at the plate going three for five with five RBIs and two homers while Shawn Moy, Ridge Gonsoulin, Manny Estrada, and Justin Brodnax all had two hits for the home team.
The Pilots will travel to Tyler, Texas, for a three-game series with the Texas College Steers (10-11) beginning with a single game on Friday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. and a double header for Saturday to begin at noon.
