Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score
PINEVILLE, La. – Run production was key for both teams as Louisiana College and Mary Hardin-Baylor split a double-header on Sunday afternoon at Allgood Field. The home team won the first seven-inning
game by a 14-11 score, while the Crusaders took the second contest 13-11.
Both starting pitchers got in trouble in the first game. The Wildcats staked starter Anthony VanGessel to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, sparked by a two RBI single by Jonathan Ettinger. The LC
second-baseman was one of four players to knock in three runs in the first game.
VanGessel, who pitched four innings and allowed eight hits while striking out five, immediately gave the four runs back to Mary Hardin-Baylor in the top of the second inning. The Wildcats would ultimately trail 5-4 before busting loose for six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, in which center fielder Cody Laprairie smacked a three-run double.
Chris Joshlin hit a grand slam for Mary Hardin-Baylor in the sixth inning to pull the Crusaders back into the game, but the Wildcats grabbed four more runs in the bottom of the inning and were able to
hold on for the win, despite a two-run shot by Andrew White in the bottom of the seventh.
Greg Uzee pitched two innings in relief of VanGessel to earn his first victory of the season. Third baseman Walt McGee had two hits and scored three runs.
LC did not start as well as they would have liked in the second game, which saw the Crusaders' first six batters reach base safely, all of them eventually scoring in the first inning. While the Wildcats got
two runs back in the bottom of the first inning, starting pitcher Justin Reed could only pitch a third of the way into the second inning, leaving after allowing eight runs on eight hits and no strikeouts.
The Wildcats tried to climb back into the game, chipping away at a 9-2 deficit. They scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning when their first four batters reached on two hits, an error, and a hit batsman. Laprairie singled in a run, and left fielder Steven Bowman scored on a wild pitch.
Anthony Benoit, who went 3-3 in the game and knocked in four runs, hit a two-run double in the sixth inning, as LC got back the three runs they had given up in the top of the frame. The Wildcats put themselves in a position to pull off the walk-off victory, but were unable to get more than one run in the last half of the seventh inning.
Reed took the loss for the Wildcats, who also pitched Josh Foster, Grant Cox, Stuart Morgan and Justin Lacy. Chance Ryan pitched five innings and gave up five runs while earning the win for Mary Hardin-Baylor.