Pilots rally late but fall 6-4 to Senators
May 12, 2006
Shreveport, LA---The LSUS Pilots came within inches in the 7th and 9th innings of erasing an early 6-0 deficit after Dusty Maddox and Tyler Williams threatened with the long ball, however, the Auburn University-Montgomery Senators held on to a 6-4 win over the Pilots.
The Senators Cortez Pearson led the AUM offense going 4-4 with three runs scored including a leadoff double off Pilots starter J.V. Laffitte which started a two run 1st inning rally.
Matthew Keel belted a two-run homerun over the left field fence in the bottom of the 2nd stretching the Senators lead to 4-0, and added two more runs in the bottom of the 4th to take a commanding 6-0 lead.
Pilots senior center fielder sparked the Pilots offense with a towering homerun to left-center field in the 6th to cut the lead to 6-1.
With the bases loaded in the 7th, Maddox hit what looked like his second homerun of the night, however, AUM’s center fielder Stephen Partrick made a catch three-quarters of the way up the wall in center, and held the Pilots to just one run in the inning.
The Pilots threatened again in the 9th after a lead off walk to catcher Brent Lavalee was followed by Bryan Cooksey’s second homerun of the season which cut the lead to 6-4. Dustin Bissonnette reached base on a walk bringing the tying run to the plate in Maddox.
Maddox grounded into a fielders choice erasing Bissonnette for the first out of the inning. Tyler Williams stepped to the plate and belted a towering fly ball to right center field that fell just short of tying the ball game for the second out.
AUM reliever slammed the door on the Pilots comeback by striking out Riley Cook to end the ball game and preserved the Senators 6-4 lead.
The loss now puts AUM in the drivers seat of the NAIA Region XIII Tournament as they guaranteed themselves a spot in Saturday’s championship game against the winner of the LSUS against Lee University match-up that is scheduled for 12:00pm.
