Victor Hernandez and the Pilots’ bullpen teamed up to limit the Crusader bats to three infield singles over the 9 innings of action and only 1 run. Hernandez (10-1) picked up the victory by going 7 innings, while fanning 6 and allowing only the two aforementioned hits.

Meanwhile, the Pilot bats gave the pitching staff all the runs they would need by putting up a 4-spot in the top of the 1st inning to take command of the ball game.

Quentin Shamsabady and Andrew Blubaugh got on to lead off the frame by getting on base and then after a pair of miscues plated a pair, Craig Barnes and David Bradley followed with RBI singles, as the 20th-ranked Pilots sent nine hitters to the plate.

The Crusaders’ pitching staff settled down over the next four innings of action, before LSUS put the ball game away with three more runs in the 6th as Jeff Ledet and Jeffrey Garidel produced RBI singles.

Matt Whitney provided a pinch-hit solo homer to cap the Pilots’ scoring in the 8th and a pair of walks and wild pitches pushed across the Crusaders’ lone tally in the 9th.

Blubaugh finished 2-for-5 with 2 runs scored, Ledet finished 3-for-5 with 2 RBI at the plate and Garidel and Bradley both added two hits apiece. Michael Lewis and David Trisler each went 1-for-3 in the ball game to lead the Crusaders’ bats.

LSUS moves on to play tomorrow at 7:00 pm against the winner of Mobile v. William Carey at 12:00.