Pilots eliminate Rams from Tourney
April 29, 2012
SHREVEPORT, La. - The no. 1 LSU Shreveport Pilots dominated early on in Sunday afternoon's 16-8 win over Texas Wesleyan eliminating the Rams from further play in the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament. This was the fourth time in the past week the Pilots defeated the Rams.
TWU (33-21) started the game with a solo-homer by Jake Howeth to take an early lead on one of the nation's top pitchers but Mortensen settled in and retired nine batters in a row as his offense got some early run support tying the game and taking the lead in the bottom of the first 2-1.
Mortensen (10-1) tossed seven solid innings scattering six hits and allowing four earned runs. He only walked two batters while missing his season high strikeouts of 12 by one fanning 11 Ram batters.
Ridge Gonsoulin started the rally with a single and later scored on a triple from Kyle Pearson. Friesen brought in Pearson with a sac fly to put the Pilots on top and they never trailed again.
The Pilots (46-4) put together a five-run inning with Devin Greco and Kade Billeaudeaux drove in runs with base hits and Pearson added another with a bases loaded walk while Friesen drove in his second run of the game with another sac fly. LSUS led 7-1 after two complete innings of play.
Gonsoulin connected on a 2-1 pitch lacing it down the right field line for a two-run single extending the LSUS' lead to 9-1. The Rams welcomed a two-run triple from Taylor Jockers to edge their way back into the game trimming the LSUS' lead to 9-3 until the Pilots scored four more runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Pearson singled in the first run of the inning followed by a RBI-double by Friesen who collected his third run batted in of the night only to be followed by a two-run homer from Devin Greco to give the Pilots a 13-3 advantage after five innings.
Gonsoulin added his fourth hit of the game driving in Billeaudeaux and Jacob Lopez later scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 14-4. The Rams rallied for four runs off the first reliever out of the LSUS bullpen but the Pilots got a run back in the bottom of the eighth as Reed Lavallee delivered a double that produced a run.
Four Pilots notched a multi-hit game with Gonsoulin leading the way going 4-for-5 with four RBIs while Greco had three hits in five trips to the plate with three runs batted in. Pearson was 2-for-3 with three RBIs while Billeaudeaux drove in a run after a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
The Pilots advance in the winners bracket in the RRAC Tournament and will face UT-Brownsville on Monday at 11:30 a.m. The winner will move on to the Championship game on Tuesday while the loser will have to win another game tomorrow to get to Tuesday.
