Pilots improve to 14-2 with 9-3 victory over Yellow Jackets
March 01, 2005
Shreveport, LA---The LSUS Pilots erupted for 29 runs versus the NCAA Division III LeTourneau University Yellow Jackets last week but found themselves holding on to a 4-3 ball game heading into the bottom of the eighth versus the Yellow Jackets Tuesday night at Pilot Field. Chris Frye provided the knock-out punch when he belted a first pitch fastball over the left field wall to give the Pilots a 9-3 lead, and their 14th win of the season.
The Pilots struck first as they pushed across two runs in the bottom of the first inning on a Chase Cox sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Dustin Bissonnette. Brandon Magierowski followed with his first of three hits on the night to score Frye who walked previously in the inning.
The two teams remained scoreless until the top of the fifth when Derek Fitchett homered over the left field wall off Pilots reliever James Thomas to cut the Pilots lead to 2-1.
Marcus Calhoun (2-0) came on in relief of Thomas in the top of the sixth and collected two quick outs before the Yellow Jackets capitalized on a misplayed grounder off the bat of Dustin Stokes to Bissonnette, allowing Stokes to reach second base, and later score on a two out RBI single by Matt Neighbors to tie the score at 2-2.
Dusty Maddox drew a lead off walk in the bottom of the seventh and scored on Bissonnette’s second double of the game. Kyle Mace then delivered a one out triple off the wall in right-center field scoring Bissonnette to give the Pilots a 4-2 lead.
The Yellow Jackets answered with one run in the top of eighth, but could not hold down the Pilots offense as Frye belted a first pitch fastball over the left field wall for a grand slam off Yellow Jackets reliever Shane Johnson, sending the Pilots to the ninth inning with a 9-3 lead.
Calhoun held the Yellow Jackets scoreless in the ninth to collect his second win of the season as he complete 4.0 innings, allowing only three hits and one earned run while collecting 5 strikeouts.
Jordan Wooten (1-1) suffered the loss going 4.0 innings while allowing two runs on five hits. Fitchett finished 1-3 with a solo-homerun, while teammate Amos Mellborn was 1-3 with a triple and a run scored for the Yellow Jackets.
Magierowski continued his hot hitting of late and finished 3-4 with a run scored. Maddox finished 2-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and his tenth and eleventh stolen bases of the year, while Mace pitched in with a 2-4 performance which included an RBI triple and a run scored.
The Pilots are now 14-2 on the season and are currently tied for first place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference at 6-0 with the University of Mobile Rams. The Pilots and Rams are scheduled to square off in a three game series this weekend beginning Friday afternoon at 1:00pm in Mobile, AL.
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