Pilots continue winning ways with three wins 04/17/02

The LSUS Pilots, on a 10-game winning streak overall and a seven-game streak in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, pulled within two games of the conference lead last weekend by pounding Hattiesburg, Mississippi’s William Carey College three times at LSUS by a total of 17 runs.

The Pilots were no better hosts to LeTourneau University or East Texas Baptist University. LSUS took two games from LeTourneau Monday, 9-5 and 7-3, and ripped ETBU 14-5 Tuesday

The Pilots play their final three home games of the regular season against the University of Mobile Friday at 6 p.m. and a double-header beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday. They go on the road the following weekend to play three games in New Orleans against the Loyola University Wolfpack.

William Carey was leading the conference with a 17-7 record after being soundly whipped by the Pilots once Friday and twice Saturday. The Pilots came out of the weekend with a 15-9 conference record. Meanwhile, Loyola dropped two of three games to Mobile’s Spring Hill College, allowing LSUS to overtake the Wolfpack for the conference second spot. Loyola’s conference record coming out of the weekend was 14-10.

Besides the three straight from William Carey, the Pilots took a close 4-3 non-conference win from Louisiana College at LSUS April 10, and tortured conference foe Talladega College in Talladega, Ala., for three wins April 5 and 6 by a combined score of 45-2. Talladega is winless in the GCAC.

LSUS split double-headers with Southern Arkansas University at home on April 2 and Spring Hill College in Mobile on March 30, and took the three-game series opener from Spring Hill on March 29. In all, LSUS has won 14 of its last 16 games, and eight of its last nine conference games.

The Pilots are definitely in the hunt for the conference title with six games remaining on its conference schedule, but the LSUS crew will need some help from in-state conference rival Loyola. The Wolfpack travels to Hattiesburg for games against William Carey Friday and Saturday. Three-game sweeps by both LSUS and Loyola this weekend would give LSUS a one-game GCAC lead, and place the Pilots’ conference fate squarely in their own hands.

The Pilots would then almost certainly have to take at least two games from the Wolfpack in the Big Easy to clinch no worse than a tie for the conference title. While the two Louisiana GCAC teams are re-enacting the Battle of New Orleans, William Carey will play host in Hattiesburg to hapless Talladega April 26 and 27.

The GCAC Tournament will be played May 1-4 at the home of the regular season conference winner, with the conference tournament winner advancing to National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Region 13 competition May 8-10.