Box Score - Loyola 9, Middle Georgia 7
Box Score - Loyola 7, Middle Georgia 3
(Cochran, Ga.) Loyola University New Orleans baseball earned two victories over SSAC opponent Middle Georgia State today, March 20, in Cochran, Georgia. The Wolf Pack scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to come away with a 9-7 win in the first game of today's doubleheader, and scored all seven of its runs over the final three innings the second game to earn a 7-3 victory.
Loyola (17-17, 5-12 SSAC) got on the board first in the opening game as John Nicholson hit a solo home run over the left field wall in the top of the first inning. The Knights (10-17, 5-12 SSAC) answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to take a one run lead.
The Wolf Pack evened the game at two apiece in the third inning when Luis Anguizola doubled to score Allen Newman. The Pack then exploded for a four hit, five run fourth inning to take a 7-2 lead over the Knights. Carmelo LoSauro, Britt Pellegrin, Spencer Rosenbohm, Jordan Wilson and Newman all scored for the Pack. Nicholson and Newman both had RBI doubles.
Middle Georgia would have an answer once again, scoring one run in the bottom of the fourth and four more in the fifth to tie the game at seven all. The Wolf Pack threatened in the top of the sixth, advancing runners to first and third, and the Knights loaded the bases in the seventh, but neither team was able to bring any runs across in the next three innings.
In the top of the ninth and the Pack and Knights tied at seven, LoSauro singled to right field to bring Andrew Fournet and give Loyola a one run lead. Alexander Lorenzo followed that up with a single of his own, scoring Anguizola to give the Pack an insurance run.
Connor Thurman gave up a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth, but was able to get the next Middle Georgia batter to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, bringing the Pack one out away from a win. Donovan Campbell then doubled to the right for the Knights, but Thurman was able to bare down and retire Logan Smith to give the Wolf Pack the victory.
Thurman pitched four scoreless innings in relief, earning his first win of the season. Nicholson finished the game a perfect 3-3 with three RBI.
Zach Massengale took the loss for Middle Georgia, allowing two earned runs in four innings of relief work. Campbell had a 4-5 game at the leadoff spot while Tyler Epps and Tristan Goodro both had two hits each.
In the second game, both teams were scoreless through the first three innings. Middle Georgia broke through in bottom of the fourth inning, scoring two runs on three hits. The Wolf Pack was able to score two runs in the top of the fifth off of two Middle Georgia errors to take a 2-1 lead, but the Knights got one right back in the bottom of the inning to reclaim the lead.
It was as this point the Wolf Pack bats really got going. Loyola scored five runs over the final two innings on six hits. Pellegrin and Elam both had RBI singles in the sixth, and in the seventh LoSauro singled to plate Nicholson, Fournet scored on a fielders choice and Lorenzo came home off of a Elam walk.
Joel Buhler allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh, but then retired three straight Middle Georgia batters to come away with the complete game win. Buhler tossed seven innings, allowing three earned runs, five hits and striking out eight.
Lorenzo and Pellegrin had three hits each for the Wolf Pack with Lorenzo scoring twice and Pellegrin driving in two runs. Elam was 1-2 with two walks and two RBI in the leadoff spot. Loyola had 13 hits while the Knights managed just five.
Joey Pride suffered the loss for Middle Georgia, giving up three earned runs in 1.1 innings pitched.
The Wolf Pack will look for the series sweep over the Knights tomorrow in Cochran, Ga. at 12 p.m.
