Pilots Outlast Badgers
April 30, 2008
MOBILE, Ala-- 20th-ranked LSUS outlasted 5th-seeded Spring Hill College for an 8-6 victory in the final game on the opening day of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.The Pilots jumped out on top with 8 runs over the first 3 innings of play and then were able to hold on as the Badgers made a run behind 6.2 scoreless innings from reliever Michael Bouche.
LSUS struck with a pair of runs in the opening frame as Craig Barnes drew a bases-loaded walk and Bryan Stebbings produced a sac fly. The Pilots forced Spring Hill starter Nick Clapper to throw 39 pitches and drew 3 walks in the frame.
All-GCAC designated hitter Jeff Ledet smacked a 3-run homer in the 2nd and then Quentin Shamsabady produced a 2-run double with 1 out in the 3rd to chase Clapper. That gave the Pilots their 8-0 lead, but that's all they would get, as Bouche allowed only 4 hits the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, the Badgers made a charge behind the top two hitters in the batting order, Ryan Hall and Justin Harrison. Hall smacked a 2-out, RBI triple in the bottom of the 3rd, and then after a fortuitous hop extended the 7th inning, Harrison stroked a 2-run triple down the right field line to cut the deficit in half.
Harrison struck again in the 8th with an RBI single to cut the lead to 8-5, before a Pilots error made it 8-6. But, that's as close as the Badgers would get, as Blake Pinkston came on and got a strikeout and 1-6-3 double play to shut the door in the 9th inning to pick up the save.
Hall finished 3-for-5, while Harrison had two hits and 3 RBI. Quenton Shamsabady went 2-for-5 with 2 RBI for the Pilots, while Ledet finished 2-for-4 with a 3-run homer and Robert Pharr went 3-for-4 from the 9-hole in the batting order.
Spring Hill (18-36) will face Loyola University in an elimination game Thursday at noon, while the Pilots (42-14) advance to face William Carey at 7:00 pm.
