PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana College baseball team had its bats wake up in a big way during a doubleheader against McMurry, including slugging three home runs as the Wildcats rolled to a pair of wins over the War Hawks, 10-2 and 12-0, Saturday afternoon at Billy Allgood Field at Legacy Stadium.
 
Game 1 – McMurry 2, Louisiana College 10
 
In a game with a number of miscues, the first error by the Wildcats ended up being the only costly one for LC as the runner who reached on the miscue eventually scored while keeping the inning going long enough for a second run to score to give the War Hawks a 2-0 lead after one inning thanks to a pair of unearned runs.
 
But it was a pair of bin innings that helped the Wildcats get the win in game one. The first big inning came in the second. With runners on the corners and no outs, Jacob Fowler stole second, and the throw down to get him ended up in center field, allowing Christian Vandergrift to come home from third base to make it 2-1. With runners on second and third, and still no outs, Brody Falgoust tied the game by sending a ball deep out to right field far enough to allow Fowler to tag up and score. After Ty Morgan moved to third on a passed ball, he was able to come home to give LC the lead on a ground ball to second by Brady Atkins. Alex Ashby then contributed the first big blast of the game as he sent a pitch screaming over the left field wall for a 4-2 Wildcat lead after two.
 
LC nursed that 4-2 lead all the way to the bottom of the sixth of the seven-inning game, before exploding in its final offensive half-inning to put the game away and did so with a huge two out rally. After the first two batters of the inning got out, Alex Ashby got the big frame started by beating out a slow roller to third for an infield single. After stealing second, Ashby came home on Keelyn Johnson's base hit up the middle. Dane Pedersen then provided the game's second big bomb, a two-run homer to left to make it 7-2. After Beau Freeman walked to keep the inning alive, Christian Vandergrift drove a pitch all the way to the center field wall for a double that scored Freeman from first. Ju'Juan Franklin, who actually opened the inning as a pinch hitter, made good on his second attempt as he ripped a double down the left field line that scored both Vandergrift and Jacob Fowler for the game's final runs.
 
Of Louisiana College's ten base hits in game one, five went for extra bases. Alex Ashby led the LC offense by going three of four at the plate, including his third home run of the season, scored twice and got a RBI with the home run. He also stole a base. Dane Pedersen went two for three and hit his first homer of the season. He finished with two RBI, a run scored, and drew a walk. Keelyn Johnson went two for two with a double, a RBI, and a run scored. He also watched ball four fly by twice to get a pair of free passes. Ju'Juan Franklin was one of two in the sixth inning alone, picking up a double and two RBI.
 
Brooks Southall (1-2) picked up the complete game win by throwing all seven innings, allowing four hits and two runs, neither of which was earned, with two walks and five strikeouts.
 
Game 2 – McMurry 0, Louisiana College 12
 
Keelyn Johnson got the scoring in game two started in a big way in the bottom of the first inning as he blasted a pitch over the wall in left-center, scoring Alex Ashby in the process, for a 2-0 lead after an inning of play.
 
Neither team did much until the Wildcats blew the game open in the sixth inning. Beau Freeman led the inning off with a double down into the right field corner. Brady Atkins laid down a bunt to move Freeman over, but it did even more as the ball was thrown away, allowing Freeman to score and Atkins to move up to second. With the bases now loaded, Dane Pedersen drew a base on balls to force home Atkins for a 4-0 lead. A ground ball to second allowed Alex Ashby to come in. Jacob Fowler then shot a pitch right back up the middle to score Keelyn Johnson. Another War Hawk error allowed Fowler to come home to make it 7-0 LC after six innings.
 
LC added to it in the seventh as Jacob Fowler drew another bases loaded free pass to force home Brady Atkins for an 8-0 lead. Christian Vandergrift made it ten runs as his base hit through the left side of the infield scored both Dane Pedersen and Alex Ashby for a 10-0 lead. Two more came home for the Wildcats in the eighth as Keelyn Johnson's grounder to short scored Beau Freeman, and Kohl James singled in Nicolas Ramos for the game's final runs.
 
Christian Vandergrift led the LC attack in game two, going two of three at the plate with two RBI. Keelyn Johnson's one hit resulted in his first home run of the season. He also drew a walk, knocked in three runs and scored twice. Beau Freeman went two of four with a double and two runs scored. Jacob Fowler went one for three with a walk, two RBI, and a run scored. Alex Ashby was one of two with a double, two walks, and three runs scored. In his one at bat, Nicolas Ramos hit a double and scored a run.
 
Dylan Roark (2-1) threw eight solid innings, giving up just two hits and no runs with two walks and nine strikeouts. Danny Wells closed out the final inning, striking out two batters before getting a fly out to end the game as he faced the minimum in the ninth.
 
The Wildcats (6-7, 3-5 ASC) look to finish the sweep of McMurry on Sunday in the series finale. First pitch against the War Hawks (3-11-1, 1-7 ASC) is set for 1:00 P.M. at Billy Allgood Field at Legacy Stadium.