NEW ORLEANS, LA.- The Loyola University New Orleans Baseball team played a doubleheader against USCAA opponent the College of St. Joseph on Wednesday afternoon.
The Wolf Pack split the two games after winning the opener in extra innings, 4-3, before dropping a pitching duel, 2-1, in the second game.
The split keeps Loyola at .500 on the year at 5-5 backed by a 4-1 record at Segnette Field.
Game 1- Loyola 4, College of St. Joseph 3
So. LHP Jason Roussel (Baton Rouge, La./Episcopal High School)pitched five solid innings, only giving up two runs on four hits, three walks, and four strikeouts. Fr. LHP Connor Sloan (Silver Spring, Md./The Avalon School) entered the game in relief in the top of the 8th and earned the win.
Jr. 1B Luis Anguizola (David, Chiriqui, Panama/Colegio San Agustin)led all hitters with three hits to go along with a RBI. So. OF Rawlings Elam(Houston, Texas/St. Thomas High)and So. OF Jordan Wilson (San Francisco, Calif./George Washington High) each had two hits, a run scored and an RBI. Jr. 2B Blake Toscano (Metairie, La./Holy Cross) did well as the leadoff hitter by scoring both times he reached base and racking up two stolen bases.
The game was scoreless heading into the bottom of the fourth inning with the heart of the lineup due up. After Toscanosingled and advanced to second on a stolen base, Elam moved him to third with a single to left field. Elam stole second to put both runners in scoring position andWilson scored Toscano with a single to left. Anguizola followed that with a single to right, scoring Elam to give the Wolf Pack a 2-0 advantage.
Loyola added a run to their lead in the bottom of the 5th. Toscanoonce again reached base, this time via walk and stole his second base of the game. Elam singled to right and Toscano beat the throw home to give Loyola a 3-0 lead.
Roussel got into a jam in the top of the sixth. He walked both batters he faced before getting replaced by Fr. RHP Julian Santana (Santiago, Dominican Republic/IMG). Santana allowed both inherited runners to score and College of St. Joseph added one more before Fr. RHP Caleb Bohan (Marietta, Ga./Walton) came on and forced them into an inning-ending double play.
The seven-inning game went into the bottom of the eighth and Loyola loaded the bases. With Jr. OF Alexander Lorenzo (Miami, Fla./Belen Jesuit Prep) at the plate, Wilson scored on a wild pitch for the walk-off victory, 4-3.
Game 2- College of St. Joseph 2, Loyola 1
Jr. RHP Jordan Green (Shreveport, La./ Byrd)put in four innings of work, allowing two earned runs on three hits, two walks, and had three punchouts. Sr. RHP Daniel Posway (Sugarland, Texas/Strake Jesuit College Prep), Jr. RHP Stewart Campbell (New Orleans, La./St. Martin's), andJr. RHPNick Moore (Marrero, La./Archbishop Shaw)combined for three innings of shutout baseball.
Elam led Loyola hitters with two hits and had the only RBI. Toscano,Wilson, Lorenzo, and So. IF Ben Condara (Houston, Texas/St. Thomas) each had a hit for the Wolf Pack.
Green got into trouble early, allowing two runs in the top of the first. The Wolf Pack thought they had answered in the bottom half of the inning, but the run was disallowed. With runners on first and second, Condarasingled to left. Wilson went home from second, but Anguizola was tagged out before Wilson crossed home plate. Originally, the run counted, but after a plate meeting, the umpires determined that the run did not score.
The game was a pitching duel from that point and the Wolf Pack did not threaten the College of St. Joseph until the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Wilson hit to shortstop and gave the visitors the opportunity for a double play. However, an error on the relay throw allowed Toscano to score from second making it 2-1. Anguizola came to the plate with a man on first and an opportunity to tie. The senior was unable to get a hit and grounded out to end the game.
The Wolf Pack returns to Segnette Field on Friday, February 19, against Dallas Christian College at 4:00 pm before a doubleheader on Saturday.
