PINEVILLE, La. – In a battle between two of the four teams which entered the weekend tied for second in the Red River Athletic Conference standings, the #19 Louisiana Christian University baseball team decided the series on day one of the three-game set with (RV) Our Lady of the Lake, sweeping Thursday's doubleheader with the Saints, 3-0 and 7-4, at Billy Allgood Field.
 
Game 1 - #19 Louisiana Christian 3, (RV) Our Lady of the Lake 0
 
#19 Louisiana Christian (31-6, 16-4 RRAC) gave the ball to Kade Linn (7-1) in game one of the double dip and rode his arm to victory as he threw his second-straight complete-game shutout. (RV) Our Lady of the Lake (25-13, 14-6 RRAC) got just three hits off Linn in the opener, all from the same batter while no other Saint player reached base in the contest.
 
It took until the fourth inning before the breakthrough finally came for the Wildcats. Gavin Vordick came up with one out and sent the ball back up the middle for a base hit. After stealing second, Vordick came home on Harrison Waxley's RBI single down the left field foul line for a 1-0 lead.
 
LCU added another stroke to its scoreline in the fifth. Caleb Brown led off the inning with a dribbler down the third base line which the OLLU third baseman threw away, allowing Brown to reach second base. Two batters later, Braden Trull dropped a base hit into center field and Brown raced to the plate to make it 2-0.
 
The Wildcats added some insurance in the sixth. Waxley led off the inning with a base hit to right-center. He moved to second on Braden McLin's base hit to center before being lifted for a pinch runner, Zephaniah Singleton. With one out now, Chris Kelley was given a pinch hit opportunity and took advantage of it, dropping a base hit into center which allowed Singleton to come in from second for the game's final run.
 
Waxley was the lone Wildcat with multiple hits in game one, going 2-for 3 with a RBI while his pinch runner, Singleton, scored a run in his place.
 
Brown went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
 
Trull was 1-for-2 at the plate with a RBI and was hit by a pitch.
 
Vordick was 1-for-3, stole a base, and scored a run.
 
Linn threw all seven innings to pick up the win, giving up just the three hits and no runs with seven strikeouts and didn't walk any batters.
 
Game 2 - #19 Louisiana Christian 7, (RV) Our Lady of the Lake 4
 
After ending a two-out rally by the Saints to keep OLLU off the scoreboard in the first inning of the nightcap, the Wildcats looked to jump all over the visitor's starting pitcher. Brown started the inning with a base hit to the right canter gap. With one out, Trull shot a base hit through the left side of the infield to move Brown to second. That was followed by Drake Aldridge, who also found the right-center gap for a hit which brought Brown in from second for an early 1-0 LCU lead, though a double play brought a quick end to the rally.
 
But the Saints seemed to gain control of the game from there, plating two runs in the top of the second inning to take the lead and extended it with a run in the fifth to go up 3-1.
 
However, as the weather picked up in the sixth inning, so did LCU's bats. McLin started the bottom of the sixth inning with a hit through the left side of the infield which was followed by Trull drawing a base on balls. Aldridge put them both in scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.
 
With the Saints making a pitching change and the small rain shower now moving away, Kelley welcomed the new OLLU hurler by dropping a base hit inside the left field foul line, scoring both runners for a 2-RBI double which tied the score. Vordick mimicked Kelley's result as he found the left-center gap for a double which scored Vordick, giving the Wildcats the lead.
 
Now with two outs and runners on the corners, Brady Huffman was given a pinch hit opportunity and delivered, driving the ball past the diving Saint first baseman which scored Vordick for a 5-3 Wildcat lead after six complete.
 
OLLU got one of those back in the top of the seventh to cut the LCU lead down to 5-4, but the Wildcats got the big blast in the bottom of the frame. After McLin drew a walk to lead off the inning, Aldridge came up with one out and the wind now still after stiffly blowing in all day and he took advantage, going the opposite way over the right field fence for a two-run home run, making it 7-4 Wildcats and the LCU pitching and defense closed the door from there.
 
Brown, Aldridge, and Morgan all got two hits in game two to lead the LCU offense. Brown was 2-for-5 with a run scored.
 
Aldridge was 2-for-3 with his home run being his fifth of the season. He knocked in three runs and scored once.
 
Morgan was also 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.
 
McLin went 1-for-4 at the plate, drew a walk, and scored twice.
 
Trull was 1-for-3 with a walk and scored a run.
 
Kelley was 1-for-3 with a double, drew a walk, knocked in a run, and his pinch runner, Singleton, scored once.
 
Vordick was also 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, drove in a run and scored once.
 
In a pinch hit opportunity, Huffman got a hit and got a RBI.
 
Jacob Bareswill (4-1) picked up the win in relief as he threw 2.1 innings, allowing five hits and two runs, both earned, with no walks or strikeouts.
 
Brandon Carter got the start and threw four innings, allowing eight hits and two runs, both earned, with two strikeouts and one walk.
 
Colton Williams picked up his third save of the season as he threw 2.2 innings, allowing two hits and no runs with three strikeouts and a walk.
 
With the series win in hand, the #19 Wildcats look to finish the sweep of the (RV) Saints when the two teams play the final game of the series on Friday. First pitch of Friday's series finale is set for 12 p.m. at Billy Allgood Field.