Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score
PINEVILLE, La. – In most baseball games, there will be a hero of the day. In Saturday's doubleheader between Louisiana College and Hardin-Simmons, junior second baseman Jordan Marks seemed to take this idea to a whole new level.

Marks (Alexandria, La./Holy Savior Menard/LSU-Alexandria) had the game-winning hit in both games, which LC won 8-4 and 6-5 respectively, and picked up the save (2) in Game 2 to help LC improve to 9-3 on the season and avenge a two-game sweep at the hands of the Cowboys (6-3) in last year's American Southwest Conference Tournament.

“It was a pretty good day, I guess,” Marks said. “I thought I was able to see the ball really well and some good things happened.”

In Game 1, Marks was good for two home runs, including a fifth-inning grand slam that proved the difference in the game.

In Game 2, Marks delivered a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eight to break a 5-5 tie then moved from second base to the mound to pick up the save in the ninth.

All told, Marks went 3-for-6 on the day with seven RBI over the two games.

“That's the kind of player he is,” LC coach Mike Byrnes said. “He came through big for us. Today was definitely his day.”

The day could truly be said to have belonged to the Wildcats as a team, as several players played key roles in both wins.

In Game 1, a seven-inning contest, the Wildcats fell behind quickly after surrendering two runs in the top of the first.

However, a two-run Marks,the first home run of the season for the Wildcats, tied the score in the bottom of the first frame.

From there, both squads settled into their defense and neither team scored a run until the top of the fifth when Hardin-Simmons senior shortstop Brian Weeks cranked a solo homerun over the left centerfield wall to give the Cowboys a 3-2 lead.

LC would answer in the bottom half of the inning with six runs on five hits, highlighted by a grand slam by Marks that soared over the left centerfield, in almost the identical point as Weeks. The result was a 8-3 lead for the Wildcats.

Junior Greg Uzee (2-1) picked up the win in the first game pitching five innings and allowing five hits and three runs while striking out three and walking two. Sam Walker (2-1) took the loss for Hardin-Simmons.

In Game 2, LC again fell behind early, surrendering a run in the top of the third, only to rebound and reclaim the lead with a three-run fourth inning which was highlighted by RBI singles by Cody Laprarie (Bentley, La./Grant HS/LSU-Alexandria) and Cole Bagbey (Monroe, La./Sterlington HS).

An RBI single by Mike Doughty (Crowley, La./Crowley HS/LSU-Eunice) in the fifth extended LC's lead to 4-2 but Hardin-Simmons would score two runs in the top of the sixth, one unearned, to tie the game a four apiece.

The Wildcats were undeterred, though, and took the lead in the sixth when Steven Davis (Monroe, La./Ouachita Parish HS) sent Bagbey in from third with a sacrifice fly then, after allowing the Cowboys to once more tie the score, sealed the game on Marks' hit in the eighth.

Cole Prejean (Brusly, La./Brusly HS), pitching in relief of Kory Kottenbrook (Springhill, La./Springhill HS/LSU-Shreveport), improved to 2-0 on the season and picked up the win while Cowboy reliever Tyler Brunneman (0-1) took the loss.

“It was a great team effort all around,” Byrnes said. “These guys fought the whole day, in both games, and did the little things that make you a successful ball team.”

Case and point, LC ended the second contest with senior catcher Anthony Benoit (Lafayette, La./St. Michael's) connecting with freshman second baseman Jacob Fontenot (Eunice, La./Eunice HS) to catch Hardin-Simmons leadoff man LeJuan Edwards stealing.

“That's just one example of this team doing the little things right to win ballgames,” Byrnes said. “And we have to do that. Either of these games could have gone either way. We were fortunate enough to have it go our way both times and a lot of that has to do with discipline and teamwork.”
An approach that has LC off to one of the best starts in school history.

“Today was a big confidence booster for us,” Marks said. “If we keep playing together, getting men on base and coming though with timely hitting, we have a chance to be a pretty good ball team.”

The Wildcats and Cowboys will wrap their three-game series on Saturday with a single, nine-inning contest. The first pitch for that contest will be thrown at noon