Pack unable to get bats going against stout Eagles pitching
WESTWEGO, La. - In an eight-inning game at Segnette Field Saturday afternoon, the Loyola University New Orleans baseball team fell 13-2 to No. 1 Faulkner.
Gary Cavallo Jr. took to the mound today for the Pack (15-15, 1-8), earning the start and shutting the Eagles (28-2, 7-2) down for three innings. It wasn't until the fourth and fifth that Faulkner was able to break the 0-0 tie, grabbing two runs in each inning to lead 4-0. After extending their advantage to 7-0 in the sixth, Loyola got on the board when Rawlings Elam reached base on a single, second on a balk, and third and eventually home on two wild pitches.
Faulkner continued to add to their lead, scoring two more runs in the top of the seventh, and four in the eighth to make it a 13-1 game. The Pack plated one in the eighth before the game was called due to the 11-run advantage.
Loyola will take the week off before continuing conference play in McKenzie, Tenn., facing Bethel in a three-game series beginning Friday, March 23rd with a doubleheader at 4 p.m.
Wolf Pack Head Coach Doug Faust
"That's definitely the best pitching staff we faced this year. We knew it was going to be difficult to score runs going into the series. In the first two games, we pitched well enough and played well enough defensively to keep us in the game, today, we didn't. The game got away from us in the middle innings, Faulkner can hit. That's why they're the number one team in the country. Obviously they're a really good team, but we didn't execute as well today, and any mistakes we made, they made us pay for it."
"I told the guys after the game, we're basically at the halfway point of the season. So now it's about how we're going to move forward from here on out, just turn the calendar and move on to the next series which is next weekend at Bethel. Get back to work at practice on Monday."
Pack Facts
Brandon Wilson Jr. recorded a hit in each game of the series with Faulkner, hitting three doubles with one RBI.
In only his sixth plate appearance on the season, Cole Nalesnik registered his first career hit with the Pack in the eighth inning on an RBI single.
Despite being handed the loss, his first of the season, Gary Cavallo Jr. pitched five solid innings, only allowing two earned runs and striking out three.
You can keep up with the Pack this season by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com.
