PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University baseball team got two home runs from
Alex Ashby in game one, helping fuel the Wildcats to another doubleheader sweep of Iowa Wesleyan to finish off the four-game weekend series sweep of the Tigers, 9-3 and 11-2, Sunday afternoon at Billy Allgood Field at Legacy Stadium.
Game 1 – Iowa Wesleyan 3, Louisiana Christian 9
The trend from the first two games continued into day two and game three as the Wildcats got the Tigers in order in the top of the first inning, only to score in the bottom half. And just like in game two, the score in the first came from one mighty swing of
Alex Ashby's bat as Ashby took the first pitch he saw and drove it over the left field wall for a 1-0 lead.
LCU put up a serious crooked number in the third to help open the game up. After
Ty Morgan led off the frame with a base hit, a perfectly placed hit-and-run allowed
Dru Scully, who was running for Morgan, to get to second on a ground ball to short. That would pay off as
Jacob Fowler's base hit through the right side allowed Scully to round third and score to extend the lead. That hit brought about a pitching change for the Tigers, and
Alex Ashby welcomed the new pitcher into the game in typical Ashby fashion, taking the first pitch offered up over the left field wall for his second home run of the game, a two-run shot that made the score 4-0. An error later kept the inning going long enough for
Beau Freeman to single in
Keelyn Johnson and extend the lead to 5-0 when the third out was finally recorded.
The game was put away in the fifth, thanks to some mistakes by the IWU defense. With one out and the bases loaded, a ground ball to short seemed to end the Wildcats scoring hopes with a double play. But the shortstop threw the ball wide of second base, allowing both
Alex Ashby and
Nick Brunet to score on the play. Freeman, who hit that ground ball, then stole second, which drew a throw that went into center field, allowing
Nicolas Ramos to scamper home from third. After Freeman stole third,
Peyton Lamartiniere's fly ball to right field was deep enough to score Freeman for a 9-0 LCU lead.
Iowa Wesleyan tacked on two in the sixth on a two-run home run and one more in the seventh for the final score, though the arm of
Dru Scully made just as much of an impact in this game as his legs did. On the single up the middle that scored IWU's final run, Scully launched a throw from center that went straight into
Ty Morgan at the plate to gun down a Tiger runner trying to score from second, helping quell any IWU rally momentum just as it was starting.
Alex Ashby went two-for-two at the plate in the day's opener, both hits being home runs, his second and third dingers of the young season. He also drew a walk and stole a base as he knocked in three runs and scored three times himself.
Beau Freeman was one-for-three with two RBI.
Jacob Fowler and
Peyton Lamartiniere each knocked in a run as well.
Beau Hebert (1-0) got the start and threw four innings of one hit baseball, giving up no runs with two walks and three strikeouts, to collect his first win of the season.
Colten Newsom pitched two innings, giving up four hits and two runs, both earned, with two strikeouts and no walks.
Chase Gardner finished things out with one inning of work as he allowed two hits and one run, which was earned, walked one and struck out one.
Game 2 – Iowa Wesleyan 2, Louisiana Christian 11
For the first time all series, the Wildcats allowed first inning base runners with a single and a walk, but they were left stranded. And just like LCU had done all weekend long, the Wildcats took an early lead, plating three in the bottom of the first. With
Jacob Fowler on second and
Alex Ashby on first with one out,
Peyton Lamartiniere drove a pitch into left field that allowed Fowler to score for a 1-0 lead. With two runners now in scoring position, the IWU pitcher ran into some trouble with his mechanics as he was called for two separate balks, both allowing runs to score as Ashby scored on the first and Lamartiniere coming home on the second for the 3-0 lead.
While the second and third innings came and went with no runs scored, the weekend series sweep was all but assured when LCU put up a six-spot in the bottom of the fourth inning. With J.T. Brice standing on third base,
Adrian Aguilar singled up the middle to plate Brice and make it 4-0. After a walk and a perfect bunt single hit by
Dru Scully loaded the bases,
Peyton Lamartiniere made it 6-0 with a double to the right-center gap that scored both Scully and
Jacob Fowler. But then came the exclamation point on the sweep as
Nicolas Ramos as he came up right after that with Lamartiniere and
Keelyn Johnson on base and brought them all home with a three-run shot to left for a 9-0 LCU lead when the bottom of the fourth inning ended.
A two-run homer in the sixth gave IWU something to smile about, but it was equaled in the bottom half of the inning as
Cade Moreau scored from third on a ground ball to first, then
Ty Morgan doubled down the left field line, scoring
Dylan David from third for the game's final run.
Peyton Lamartiniere went two-for-three at the plate with a double, three RBI, and two runs scored.
Nicolas Ramos' one hit in the game was a big one, the three-run blast that represented his first home run of the season as all three of his RBI and his one run scored in the game came on that hit.
Jacob Fowler was one-for-two but drew two walks that helped him touch home plate twice.
Trip Flotte (1-0) got the win as he started and threw the first three innings, allowing one hit and no runs while walking three and struck out five.
Branon Pope three two innings, allowing one hit and no runs with one strikeout and no walks.
Dylan Coburn threw one inning, giving up one hit and two runs, both earned, with no walks and one strikeout.
Blake Windham rounded out the all-staff contest with one three up, three down inning of work.
The Wildcats (4-0) look to take the early momentum into the Cajun Collision next weekend where LCU will see some of the NAIA's stiffest competition. Starting off the event on Friday, the Wildcats will take on McPherson, which will be followed up by a game against Lawrence Tech. First pitch of the game against the Bulldogs (1-2) is set for 1:00 P.M. while the game against the Blue Devils (0-0) is set for 5:00 P.M. with all games of the Cajun Collision taking place at the Sterlington Sports Complex in Sterlington, La.
