Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Louisiana College baseball team opened their final weekend series of the year Friday evening with a doubleheader against the visiting University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. While both games of the day were tightly contested throughout it was the final column in the box score that told the story of the UMHB doubleheader sweep of the Wildcats. LC committed seven errors in the two games leading to three unearned runs in the 5-2 loss in game one and four unearned runs in the 9-6 loss in game two. The two teams will close out the regular season on Saturday afternoon beginning at 12:15 p.m. at Billy Allgood Field with pregame senior presentation starting at 11:45 a.m.

Game 1

It took three and a half innings before either team could finally come through with a hit with a runner in scoring position. Both UMHB and LC had opportunities early in the game with a runner at third to take the lead, but neither could come through for their team. It wasn't until a Duncan Cornfoot double in the bottom of the fourth sparked the LC offense. His extra base hit put runners at second and third with 1-out, and Deauton Delgado brought in Walt Aldridge from third on an RBI groundout to second. Steven Pizano then followed with an infield single to deep short to score Cornfoot and put the Wildcats up 2-0 after the fourth inning.

LC's lead would not last long however, as two pitching changes for the Wildcats, two errors, and a bases loaded walk led to three Cru runs in the inning, taking the lead away from the Wildcats, 3-2. Neither team threatened in the sixth, but Mary Hardin-Baylor found some insurance in the seventh on a 2-out, 2-run triple to right field to put them up 5-2 going into the bottom of the final inning.

The Wildcats didn't go down easily, as Sully Martin led off the frame with a double to left center, which was followed by a walk, a sacrifice bunt to move them over, and another walk to load the bases with 1-out for LC's best hitter Seth Stevens. Stevens chopped one right back to the pitcher for a game ending, 1-2-3 double play.

LC had five hits in the game, two of them coming from center fielder Sully Martin who went 2-for-3 in the game. Martin and Duncan Cornfoot both had doubles in the game and Kiefer Moore and Zane Corbell each stole one base a piece. Bo Ockman started the game and went 4.0+ allowing two unearned runs on three hits with three strikeouts. Jacob Buchanan pitched a third of an inning, facing two batters and allowed one run, and Austin Taylor pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with three strikeouts.

Game 2

The Wildcats found themselves behind from the very beginning of the second game of the day, as starting pitcher Austin Thompson walked three of the first four batters of the game while surrendering an RBI double, and an RBI single to right. The only out he recorded in the game was a sacrifice fly to center for the first out of the game, that also scored a run. After an early pitching change, the Cru got two more runs on a bases loaded walk and an RBI ground out to take a 5-0 lead after just a half inning of play.

Even though the game did not start how they wanted, the Wildcats battled back over the next five innings of play, starting in the bottom of the first. The Wildcats first run of the game came thanks to an error at second with 2-out that allowed Kiefer Moore to score from third. The next batter, Sully Martin, then singled to right with the bases loaded for another run. The inning ended on a ground out to third but LC was back in it, down 5-2 after the first.

In the third inning, Deauton Delgado started with a double down the left field line and came in to score two batters later on a Sully Martin single to left. Martin then scored from second two batters later, on LC's third straight hit off the bat of Zane Corbell to get back within a run at 5-4. The Cru went to the bullpen and got the final two outs of the inning, leaving the tying run stranded at second. After a quick fourth and top of the fifth, another leadoff double got things going to LC in the bottom of the inning, this one from Sully Martin. A sacrifice bunt got him to third and he scored the tying run on a UMHB throwing error. That was all the Wildcats would get in the inning, but they had come back to tie the game after falling behind to start the game.

LC had a chance to take the lead in the sixth with a runner at third with 2-out, but a ground ball to short ended the chance. In the seventh, the Cru took advantage of two Wildcat throwing errors and scored four runs. The first came on an attempt to first  that allowed two runs to cross the plate and the second came two batters later that allowed a third run to score. The Cru finished the scoring with an RBI single to right and led 9-5 mid way through the seventh.

The Wildcats got a run back in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a sacrifice fly from Steven Pizano that brought Aldridge in from third, but they went down in order in the bottom of the ninth ending the game in a 9-6 defeat. The teams combined for 26 hits in the game, with LC totaling 15, including a 3-for-5 effort from Sully Martin and a 3-for-4 game from Zane Corbell.

Austin Thompson suffered his fifth loss of the season after pitching just a third of an inning allowing five runs on three hits. Carson Bolyer pitched well in relief, going 6.1 innings giving up four unearned runs on six hits with five strikeouts, and Andrew Robinson threw 2.1 innings of shutout ball allowing just two hits.

The final game of the season at Billy Allgood Field will begin at 12:15 p.m., between the Wildcats and UMHB. The pregame presentation of the 14 LC senior baseball players will start at 11:45 a.m. before the game. The Wildcats play their final game before next week's ASC first round tournament. LC still has a chance to reach the number six seed in the tournament with a win on Saturday and some help from Sul Ross against Hardin-Simmons. Teams finishing 1st, 4th, 5th, and 8th will play at UT Tyler and teams finishing 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 7th will play at UT Dallas in the ASC First-Round Tournament Series' next weekend. Stay connected to Louisiana College by following @LC_bsb or @LC_Wildcats on Twitter and liking LC Athletics on Facebook.