Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The Loyola Wolf Pack start their 2021 campaign with a pair of wins over Houston Victoria Friday at Segnette Field
NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola University New Orleans baseball team got off to a great start to the season, sweeping Friday's doubleheader with the University of Houston Victoria. The Pack won the first game 2-1 then finished the evening with a 4-1 win.
The Wolf Pack and Jaguars will meet back up at Segnette Field Saturday for two more games starting at noon.
GAME 1: Loyola 2, Houston Victoria 1 (7)
Payton Alexander's fifth-inning home run was the difference in the season-opener for both teams. With the game tied 1-1, Alexander sent the first pitch he saw over the left-field fence to break the tie for good.
Pitching at the time was Brett Fisackerly, and he proceeded to put zeros on the board for the rest of the game. The junior had to pitch around some seventh-inning trouble with two on a no outs, but he recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
Wes Anderson pitched the first four innings, giving up one run off four hits with three strikeouts. A Jaguar batter reached base in the third inning by connecting on a pitch hit right back at Anderson, and he later came around to score to make it a 1-1 game.
Loyola got its first run of the season in the first inning. Alexander reached on a fielder's choice, then moved to third base after an Allen Dennis double. Michael Calamari hit a sacrifice fly during the next at-bat to score Alexander and give the Wolf Pack a 1-0 lead.
GAME 2: Loyola 4, Houston Victoria 1 (7)
Again, the Wolf Pack scored in the first inning to set the tone for the game. Alexander singled with one out and moved to third after Dennis was hit by a pitch and a Calamari groundout to first base. He scored on a passed ball during the next at-bat.
Brandon Duhon got a third-inning rally going with a single and a stolen base to quickly get in scoring position. Dennis made it a 2-0 game with a single to center two batters later, but Houston Victoria cut it to a one-run game in the fourth inning.
Peyton Lacoste gave Loyola some cushion in the bottom of the fifth, tripling to right-center field to score Alexander and Dennis. Alexander reached on an error and Dennis tallied his second hit of the game to set up Lacoste.
Matthew Champagne earned the win after starting Game 2 with four strong innings. He allowed the one earned run off five hits, and Brenden Taravella pitched the next two innings with five strikeouts. Andrew Riedell earned the save with a quick seventh inning.
"We did a good job of pitching, throwing strikes and competing on the mound. I think our offense is a lot better than we showed today. We just never really got into a rhythm, and we couldn't get in a rhythm on the bases because we couldn't get on base enough. Putting pressure on the bases is a big part of our game. It's the first day out so I assume we'll get better with that."
Pack Facts
Freshman Andrew Riedell earned his first career save with a clean seventh inning in Game 2. He only pitched one inning during the shortened 2020 season.
Brandon Duhon recorded his first steal of the season in Game 2 to give him 35 for his career. In just 28 career games at Loyola, the junior, who was second nationally in four stolen base categories during the shortened 2020 season, is 10th in the Loyola record books for career steals.
Allen Dennis reached base in both games Friday, improving his on-base streak, which dates back to last season, to 30 games.
Patrick Crifasi only saw plate appearances in Game 1 Friday, but he moved his on-base streak to 16 games after reaching on a fielder's choice in the second inning. Like Dennis, that streak goes back to last season as well.
Brenden Taravella's five strikeouts in his two innings of work was the most for the junior since he recorded seven in six innings on March 15, 2019.
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.
