PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana College baseball team found itself down six runs when it came to bat in the bottom of the second inning, but that deficit was no issue to the Wildcats who smashed Hardin-Simmons pitching for 11 extra base hits, including a walk-off home run to invoke the run-rule in a 19-9 eight inning win over the Cowboys Sunday afternoon at Billy Allgood Field at Legacy Stadium.

It wasn't the cleanest start to the game as Hardin-Simmons got some timely hitting combined with some sloppiness in the field to score three runs in the top of each the first and second innings to take the 6-0 lead as the Wildcats came to bat in the bottom of the second inning.

Ju'Juan Franklin's bat seemed to settle the Wildcats back into the game as he jump started the LC offense with a lead-off double to the wall in right. Now with runners on the corners and one out, Nicolas Ramos took off for second, which drew a throw down, allowing Franklin to take off for home, which he took unopposed for LC's first run. Some luck then came LC's way as Brodie Falgoust's sharply hit chopper tipped off the pitcher's glove and drew a rushed throw from the shortstop, which got away and allowed Ramos to come around from second. Alex Ashby followed that with a double that banged off of the left field wall that allowed Falgoust to come all the way around from first to cut the deficit to 6-3.

The deficit fully disappeared in the bottom of the third inning as LC plated five runs in the frame to take the lead for good. Franklin got the scoring started as his base hit to the right-center gap scored Dane Pedersen from second to pull the Wildcats closer. Now with the bases loaded and two outs, back-to-back wild pitches allowed Franklin and Ramos to each score to tie the game at 6-6. Falgoust put LC on top as he ripped a double down the third base line to score Jacob Fowler and take the lead 7-6. The two-out rally continued as Alex Ashby found the left-center gap for a RBI double to plate Tyrese Morgan, who was called on to replace Falgoust on the base paths, to make it 8-6 Wildcats after the third inning.

Ramos continued to swing a hot bat in the fourth inning, and it added another run to LC's ledger as he dropped a base hit into right-center to score Keelyn Johnson from second base for a 9-6 lead.

Johnson did it all himself to start the bottom of the sixth inning as he lifted a pitch into the gusty winds and got enough of it to get over the center field wall for a lead-off home run to make the score 10-6 LC. But HSU wasn't done yet, plating a trio of runs in the top of the seventh inning to cut the lead to 10-9.

But the Wildcats took away any remaining doubt about the game's outcome with six runs in the bottom of the seventh to open the score again. Tyrese Morgan blasted a shot off the wall in right for a triple that brought home Nicolas Ramos to make it 11-9. Alex Ashby then brought Tyrese Morgan and himself home with a two-run homer to left-center. After Christian Vandergrift doubled, Keelyn Johnson brought him home with a RBI single to left. Ty Morgan closed out the scoring by shooting a base hit through the left side of the infield which plated both Johnson and Dane Pedersen to make the score 16-9 LC when the seventh inning finally ended.

Keelyn Johnson ended the game with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the eighth inning. After Tyrese Morgan and Alex Ashby were both hit by pitches, Johnson came up and lifted another pitch into the wind towards right-center, clearing the wall for the walk-off three-run homer to invoke the run-rule.

Nicolas Ramos continued the hot start to his season, going four-of-five at the plate with a double, a RBI, scored three times and stole three bases. Alex Ashby went three-for-five with all three of those hits going for extra bases, two doubles and a home run, which was his team-leading third dinger of the season. He knocked in four runs and scored twice himself. Keelyn Johnson went three-for-four with two home runs, his first two on the year, walked twice, knocked in five runs, scored four times, and walked twice.

Dylan Coburn (1-1) came on in relief and halted the early HSU offense as he threw three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and three walks with one strikeout. Dylan Roark started and went two innings, allowing four hits and six runs, four earned, walked two and struck out two. Konnor McDermott, Gerald Groue, Jr., and Andrew Robinson each threw one inning to close out the contest with Robinson getting three up and three down.

After such a successful start to the conference schedule, the Wildcats (9-2, 6-0 ASC) get a weekend off from ASC play and will play two against a future conference opponent in LSU Alexandria next Friday. First pitch of the doubleheader against the Generals (7-8, 0-0 RRAC) is set for 3:00 P.M. at Billy Allgood Field at Legacy Stadium.