Zachary Cook comes up with a clutch single to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth
NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola University New Orleans baseball team came through in the clutch yet again this weekend, capping off their three-game series with Lindenwood University Belleville with a 6-5 victory Saturday afternoon at Segnette Field.
After Michael Toscano began the day for the Wolf Pack (3-0) with a one-two-three first inning on the mound, the Loyola bats came alive to take a commanding lead. Zachary Cook came up with a leadoff single past the shortstop before Jesse Jordan reached on a well-executed bunt to put two on for Allen Dennis. Last year's RBI leader, Dennis came through with a slap to left-center field to score both runners, with both Brandon Wilson Jr. and Tre Mouriz drawing walks to load the bases.
Jase Biehl scored the third run for Loyola on a sac-fly to leftfield, with the home team bringing two more in to score on a single to left-center field by Cole Nalesnik. However, the Lynx (1-6) would respond in the top of the second, scoring four to make it a one-run game. While relief appearances from Alexander Acevedo, Trevor Omans and Lawrence Frishberg kept the visitors off the board for three consecutive innings, they would eventually draw the game even at five with a one-run top of the sixth.
The Wolf Pack bullpen held strong for the remainder of the afternoon, giving the bats an opportunity to pick up the win in the bottom of the ninth inning. Leading off the final frame, Biehl ripped a ball deep down the right field line and hustled around the diamond for Loyola's first triple of the new year. Three batters later, Cook stepped up to the plate and connected on a pitch, sending it through the hole between first and second base to bring Biehl across the plate for the Pack's second-straight walk-off victory.
Next up for the Wolf Pack is a doubleheader at 25th-ranked LSU-Shreveport this coming Wednesday, February 13 at 4 p.m.
Wolf Pack Head Coach Doug Faust
"We're excited to start the season 3-0. We had an opportunity to play a good team in the first weekend of the year, as well as a veteran team, and they were coming off of a good season last year so we knew that it was going to be a challenge for us. Honestly, we were just trying to find a way to hopefully win the series, and we ended up winning all three in one-run games. It says a lot about the character we have. I know it's early and still the first weekend, but it says a lot about the makeup of the guys on the team."
"I guess you could say that the difference is that we were expecting to win in tough spots, and expecting to come through, instead of hoping to come through like we have in the past. It's just true belief amongst the whole team, pitchers, hitters, fielders, everybody on the whole team. Hopefully we can use this and build off of it. When we get in tough spots in the future, we can go back and remember how we did it in the first weekend."
Pack Facts
10 members of the Wolf Pack recorded a hit today, led by Zach Cook's 2-5 performance, including the game-winning RBI single.
The pitching staff of Loyola struck out eight batters today, with Michael Toscano, Lawrence Frishberg and Joseph Snowden each getting two swing-and-misses.
Seven newcomers made their program debuts today, with Snowden earning the win in his first appearance on the mound and Nicholas Caldwell going 1-1 with a double at the plate.
The Pack showed off their plate discipline this weekend by drawing 17 walks in the three-game series.
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.
