Pilots suffer triple-header sweep to Lindenwood
February 06, 2011
SHREVEPORT, La. - The no. 13 LSU Shreveport Pilots suffered a triple-header sweep against Lindenwood University Lions on Sunday at Pilot Field. Lindenwood's Cody Trudell saved all three games.
GAME 1 (L, 7-4)
The Pilots dug themselves quite a whole allowing three runs in the second and third innings to trail 6-0 after two and a half innings of play but Justin Brodnax's grandslam got them right back in the thick of things as they trailed just 6-4 after three complete innings of play. But the blast from Brodnax would be the only spark the offense saw as Lindenwood added a run in the top of the fourth for the 7-4 win.
Brodnax was three for four with four RBIs. Jared Mata (1-1) took the loss for the Pilots as he allowed six earned runs in six innings pitched while walking two and striking out three. Evan Vinyard (2-0) picked up the win for Lindenwood after going five innings allowing four earned runs and walking five and striking out five. Cody Trudell saved his first game of the season in an inning and two thirds of relief as he struck out four and walked two.
GAME 2 (L, 9-8)
The Pilots overcame giving up four runs in the top of the first only to give up the lead late in the game. LSUS rallied for four runs in the first and three in the second inning to take a 7-5 lead after two. They got one more run in the third but it was the last as Lindenwood scored four runs in their final three at bats to win the game 9-8.
LSUS hit three home runs in the game while Lindenwood hit one. Kevin Smith crushed a two-run blast in the first inning and two batters later Chase Wentz accomplished the same feat to tie the game at four. Andrew Brouillette launched a two-run shot in the second inning to give the Pilots the lead.
Brouillette was three for four with four RBIs while Kevin Smith was two for two with two RBIs and Chase Wentz was one for two with a pair of RBIs.
Kyle Little (1-1) was the winner for Lindenwood on the mound after just a third of an inning of relief work. Cody Trudell picked up save number two on the day and season as he went an inning and striking out one batter. Drew Middleton (1-1) suffered the loss for the Pilots after an inning and a third of relief work as he allowed one earned run and walked two.
Game 3 (L, 7-6)
Lindenwood scored four runs in the top of the third inning and the Pilots answered with a pair in the bottom half from a two-run homer from Andrew Brouillette. LSUS added another run after the solo-homer from Justin Brodnax to trim the Lindenwood lead to two, 5-3 after four complete innings of play.
After an hour rain delay, Lindenwood appeared to pull away from the Pilots with the second homer of the game from Shelby Anderson as it gave LU a 7-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. The Pilots scratched three runs across to cut the lead to one as Matt Bagley went down swinging to end the game with the tying and winning runs in scoring position.
Lindenwood's Anderson was two for three with five RBIs. Justin Brodnax and Curtis Beaudoin were the only two Pilots with multi-hits. Brodnax was two for four with two RBIs while Beaudoin was two for two. Brouillette drove in a pair of runs and was one for three while Stephen Hobbins was one for three with an RBI.
The next game for the Pilots will be against the Southern Arkansas Muleriders at Pilot Field on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. SAU is ranked 13th in the Preseason Coaches' Poll in NCAA Division II.
