Pilots win Regional Tourney!!
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Pilots hold off Mobile, 8-6, for NAIA win 05/08/03

The LSUS Pilots held off a late charge by the University of Mobile to stay undefeated in the NAIA Region XIII tournament at Hattiesburg, Miss.

The 8-6 win over one of two Gulf Coast Athletic Conference foes in the regional tourney sends the Pilots into the winner’s bracket semi-final game at noon Friday against William Carey College, the other GCAC competitor and the tournament host. A win in the noon game will propel the Pilots to the regional championship game at 2 p.m. Saturday, while a loss would send them to the losers’ bracket semi-final game at 6 p.m. Friday.

Tony Ferguson, a 6-4 sophomore, pitched seven innings Thursday night and was credited with the win, improving his season record to 9-5. Daniel Welch, a 6-4 freshman, recorded his second save of the season. The Pilots spread five hits among five players, while Mobile committed four errors.

Pilots head coach Rocke Musgraves was undecided late Thursday night on a starter for Friday noon’s game. He has both Brandon Ezernack (8-5), a 6-2 freshman, and Levi Montoya (2-2), a 5-8 junior, ready to take the mound.

The Pilots have a couple of scores to settle with William Carey when they take the field Friday. William Carey won the GCAC regular season championship by a half-game over the Pilots. The half-game difference was the result of the rainout of a William Carey-Loyola University game in mid-April. Because the rainout was not made up, William Carey finished the season with a 20-9 conference record, while LSUS played a full 30-game conference schedule with a record of 20-10.

March 21-22, William Carey won two of three games from the Pilots in Hattiesburg by a net total of one run. Feb. 7-8, William Carey came to Shreveport and dropped two of three to the Pilots. The two teams did not meet in the GCAC tournament, which was also hosted by William Carey.

Line Score

LSUS 004 310 000 – 8 5 0

Mobile 200 002 110 – 6 9 4

WP Ferguson (9-5), Save Welch (2)