Jordan Meisner

Late Rally Keeps Cats Alive

5/6/2017 4:11:00 PM

By: LC Sports Information - Brad Welborn

Box Score

A seven-run top of the eighth inning propelled the Louisiana College baseball team in their 8-3 elimination game victory over the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in the Blue Bracket of the American Southwest Conference first round tournament. The Wildcats will either get a rematch with the University of Texas at Tyler or play their first game against Concordia University (TX) this season in the second elimination game of the day Saturday at 7 p.m. at Irwin Field in Tyler, TX.

After missing early opportunities to score in the first game of the tournament Friday night, the Wildcats first scoring chance came in the top of the second inning and this time they would come through. With runners at first and second and 2-out, Ashton Martin took a 2-0 fastball to left field that brought Deauton Delgado in from second to give LC the early 1-0 lead.

Neither team would make any noise until the fourth inning, when the Cru tied the game on a lead off solo home run that just cleared the left field wall. After a base hit and a hit batter, UMHB had runners at first and second with no one out. Wildcats starting pitcher Jacob Buchanan got the next two batters on a fielder's choice force at third and a fly ball to center. On a slow roller to shallow short by the next batter, the throw to first was unable to be picked up and the Cru took the lead as the runner from second kept is momentum and scored easily.

From the fourth through the seventh innings the Wildcats only had one hit, a 2-out double from Sully Martin in the fourth, and UMHB retired 11 batters in a row before senior Keifer Moore singled to left field with 1-out in the eighth. Walt Aldridge followed with a base hit putting the go ahead runner on first base. Seth Stevens stepped to the plate with an 0-for-3 collar on him to that point but delivered a clutch 2-run double to right center field to put LC back on top 3-2 in the inning.

Stevens' hit opened the floodgates for the Wildcats and put pressure on the Cru defense. Duncan Cornfoot's check swing bloop single to right scored Stevens, and his pinch runner, Trey McNeal swiped second base and advanced to third on the first of five UMHB errors in the inning. Steven Pizano singled in McNeal and moved to second on another error. A perfect squeeze bunt from Sully Martin made it 6-2 and another error on the bunt allowed Pizano to score from second to make it 7-2 Wildcats. The final run of the inning came when two throwing errors, one by the pitcher on an attempted pick off and the other by the center fielder trying to get Martin advancing to third, allowed him to score from second base and make it 8-2 LC with six defensive outs remaining.

"I knew that it was going to come together," LC assistant coach Matt Byrnes said. "Our approaches weren't great early but we were putting the ball in play, and we finally got the hit when we needed. Once you get a big hit like that, it gets contagious. We had a good hit and run and laid down a great safety squeeze and it all fell together for us the inning."

Wildcats reliever Carson Bolyer gave up a run in the bottom of the eighth, but limited the damage and get the final six outs LC needed to keep their season alive and guarantee them at least one more game.

Bolyer got the win in relief, going the final three innings, allowing one run on four hits with two strikeouts. Starter Jacob Buchanan pitcher six innings, allowing two runs, one of them earned on five hits with three strikeouts in the no decision. Walt Aldridge (3-5), Duncan Cornfoot (2-4), and Sully Martin (2-4) all had multiple hits in the game and each had one double.

The Wildcats will play the loser of the UT Tyler/Concordia (TX) game in an elimination game at 7 p.m. Saturday evening at Irwin Field in Tyler, TX. The winner of that game advances to play on Sunday at 1 p.m. against the winner of the UT Tyler/Concordia (TX) game. Stay connected to Louisiana College baseball by following @LC_bsb or @LC_Wildcats on Twitter and liking LC Athletics on Facebook.

Print Friendly Version