Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Head coach Jeremy Kennedy earned his 400th career win and Allen Dennis broke the school record for home runs in a career in two wins Tuesday
WESTWEGO – The Loyola Wolf Pack improved their record to 11-4 on the season with two wins over Bryant & Stratton College Tuesday. The Pack earned an 8-4 Game 1 win to start the day, then capped off the night with a dominating 13-2 victory.
Loyola will continue its 18-game homestand this weekend with four games against Rust College Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's doubleheader is set for 5 p.m., while Sunday's two-game set begins at 1 p.m.
Game 1: Loyola 8, Bryant & Stratton-Albany 4
Loyola starting pitcher Brenden Taravella began his outing rocky by giving up two runs in the first inning. Taravella, though, settled down to put the Wolf Pack in position to win by putting zeros on the board in four straight innings. He finished with three strikeouts over his six innings of work and he allowed two earned runs on five hits. After the slow start, he pitched clean innings in the second, third and fourth frames to give his offense plenty of time to score.
Trailing 2-0 in the second, Patrick Crifasi and Ross Selvaggi singled with one out, then Brandon Duhon walked with the bases loaded three batters later to make it a 2-1 game. Loyola didn't take long to tie the game either, scoring its second run in the third when Crifasi hit a sacrifice fly to score Payton Alexander.
The Wolf Pack used five hits to hang a crooked number on the board in the fourth and extend the lead to 5-2. Jase Biehl delivered the big blow in the frame, a two-run shot to left-center field, then Allen Dennis doubled in another run to end the scoring.
The Bobcats made things interesting with two runs in the top of the sixth, cutting the Wolf Pack's lead to 5-4, but Loyola answered with three runs in the bottom half to add a cushion. Alexander singled home a run and later scored with smart base running. With runners on the corners, Crifasi stole second base and Alexander came home when the Bobcat catcher tried to get Crifasi, who later scored off a single by Selvaggi.
With an 8-4 lead, Brett Fisackerly finished the game with an easy top of the seventh.
Game 2: Loyola 13, Bryant & Stratton-Albany 2,
The Wolf Pack hung crooked numbers on the board in four innings in Game 2 en route to the 11-run win. Dennis and Crifasi each had a pair of hits while six others added base knocks in the game.
It all started with a four-run first inning, and Dennis got things going with an RBI single. Alexander, Crifasi and Biehl walked in three straight at-bats, and the Wolf Pack quickly led 2-0. Alexander made it 3-0 when he scored on a fielder's choice, then Crifasi made it 4-0 with smart base running.
Dennis launched his 20th career home run - a Loyola program record - in the second inning. His three-run blast and second home run of the season made it 7-0.
After Bryant & Stratton scored two in the fourth, Loyola added four more in the fourth and two in the fifth. Biehl picked up the first RBI on a sacrifice fly, then Landon Trosclair smacked a two-RBI double the next at-bat. Luke LaCoste added the final RBI of the fourth with another sac fly, and Duhon and Zach Cook scored in the fifth to really put the game away.
Pack Facts
First-year Loyola coach Jeremy Kennedy notched his 400th career win after sweeping Tuesday's doubleheader.
Allen Dennis' three-run home run in Game 2 was his 20th of his career, and he's now Loyola's all-time leader in home runs for a career.
Brandon Duhon recorded four steals in the two games Tuesday, and he's now tied for seventh in the Loyola record books for stolen bases in a single season with 21. Duhon also ranks atop the NAIA, as he came into Tuesday second in the country.
With hits in each of the games Tuesday, Payton Alexander is now riding a six-game hitting streak. He's also reached base in all 15 games this season.
The Wolf Pack recorded 12 hits in the first game of the day, which is the most this season. With 10 in Game 2, Loyola now has had five games this season with at least 10 hits.
Loyola tallied 11 stolen bases in Game 1, and that's the most for the program in a game in the Dakstats era, which dates back to 2004.
You can keep up with the Pack by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com.
