Pilots hit five long balls in win over Wiley
February 18, 2011
MARSHALL, Tex. - The no. 13 LSU Shreveport Pilots baseball team were out hit by Wiley College on Friday but the Pilot's five home runs lifted LSUS past Wiley in their first win in the Red River Athletic Conference on Friday afternoon at Airport Park. Wiley had 15 hits to LSUS' 14.
The Pilot bench got plenty of playing time as the starting nine got them an 11-2 lead after five complete innings of play. LSUS scored three runs in the second as Kevin Smith gave the visitors their first run of the game with his third homer of the season. Justin Brodnax drove in the second run with a base hit to right and later Michael Diffie drove in a run with a perfect punt single on the safety squeeze to extend the Pilot's lead to 3-0.
Andrew Brouillette hit his first home run of the game as he went deep to straight away center field for his sixth home run of the season. Curtis Beaudoin drove in the inning's second run with a single to left field and Cody Causey followed with a two-run double to make it 7-1 Pilots after three complete innings of play.
Brouillette seventh home run of the year came in the top of the fourth inning as it sailed over the left center field fence to extend the LSUS' lead to seven, 8-1. Causey went deep to start the fifth inning for the Pilots which was his first home run of the season. Brouillette later hit a two out two-run blast, his third of the game to grow the lead to 11-2 after five complete.
Brouillette was three for five with four RBIs and three home runs as he hit one off of each of the first three pitchers for Wiley College (4-2, 3-1 RRAC). Kevin Smith was two for four with an RBI while David Morgan went two for two at the plate. Cody Causey was two for four with three RBIs.
The Pilots (6-6, 1-0 RRAC) scored 11 runs on 14 hits in an error-free performance in the field while Wiley scored six runs on 15 hits and made one error.
Jared Mata (2-1) picked up the win for the Pilots after tossing seven innings scattering 12 hits and allowing four earned runs and he struck out eight batters. Scott Petroski tossed two innings out of the bullpen as he allowed three hits and two earned runs. Julio Torres (1-1) took the loss for Wiley as he tossed three innings and allowed eight hits, seven earned runs, one walk and one strike out. The Wildcats used four different pitchers to get through the nine inning game as the final reliever, Elijah Abreu, was the most effective as he tossed four and a third and only allowed two hits and no runs.
"Today was a great win for us, it is comforting to know that you can give up 14 hits and still win. Our pitchers did a great job in minimizing the damage and got big out when we needed them," said LSUS Head Coach Rocke Musgraves.
Both teams left a lot to be desired as the Pilots stranded ten base runners while Wiley left nine aboard.
The next game for the Pilots will be a double header on Saturday at Noon in Marshall, Texas, against Wiley College. Both games can be heard live at Teamline.cc.
