Pilots win 5th straight in a 13 inning thriller over Le Tourneau
March 03, 2004
The LSUS Pilots hosted the Le Tourneau University Yellow Jackets Tuesday night at Pilot field looking to build on their current 4 game win streak. Things didn’t look good early as the Yellow Jackets jumped on Pilot starter Jeremie Chabot for 3 runs in the first inning. Le Tourneau was able to build an 8-3 lead by tacking on 2 runs in the fourth inning and 2 more in the fifth.
A lead off single by Pilot senior Wesley Gray sparked a two run inning in the Pilots half of the fifth. Thomas McMannis drove in a run in the bottom of the 6th inning with a 1 out single to cut the Yellow Jacket lead to 8-6. Pilot pitcher David Alexander silenced the Le Tourneau offense in top half of the 7th inning which set the stage for a Pilot comeback in the bottom half of the inning. With 1 out, Chase Cox was hit by a pitch which was followed with an error by the Yellow Jacket shortstop on a Brian Cooksey ground ball. Cooksey advanced to second and Cox scored on the play. Dustin Bissonnett then hit a double in the left center field gap to tie the game at 8-8. Wesley Gray collected his second hit of the game with a single to right field that scored Bissonnett and gave the Pilots their first lead of the night at 9-8. After stealing third base, Gray advanced home on a wild pitch for the fourth run of the inning, giving the Pilots a 10-8 lead heading to the 8th.
The Yellow Jackets answered with two runs in the top of the 8th inning to tie the game at 10-10. Senior Levi Montoya entered the game in the 10th inning for the Pilots and held off the Yellow Jackets in his 4 innings of work. In the bottom half of the 13th inning, Andy Mills was hit by a pitch which was followed by a single by Cooksey to put runners at first and second with one out. Bissonnett hit into a fielder’s choice which left the Pilots at first and third with two out, and Wesley Gray looking for his third hit of the game at the plate. Gray drove a single through the left side of the infield just past the diving shortstop to plate the winning run and keep the Pilots winning streak alive. Levi Montoya collected his second win of the year and is now 2-0 for the Pilots. Gray finished the game 3-6 with 2 RBI and runs scored. Brian Cooksey followed up his stellar defensive performance with a 2-4 night at the plate which included 2 RBI and a run scored.
LSUS (10-3) will be in action again Wednesday afternoon when they will host Texas College in a single 9 inning contest. Game time e is scheduled for 12:00pm.
All LSUS News Releases are Online at: http://www.lsus.edu/athletics/ To receive LSUS Sports Releases by e-mail, contact Allan Cantwell at: sports@pilot.lsus.edu
LSUS Athletics Contact: Allan Cantwell Sports Information 318-797-5194 (office) 318-572-6237 (cellular)
