Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The Loyola Wolf Pack faced Xavier in a New Orleans showdown at Segnette Field Saturday, sweeping the doubleheader to set up Sunday's Game 3
WESTWEGO – The Loyola University New Orleans baseball team moved to 10-7 overall after winning two games over the first-year program, the Xavier Gold Rush. Loyola started the afternoon with a 2-1 win, then capped off the evening by taking Game 2 10-4 over Xavier.
Loyola and the Gold Rush will meet at Segnette Field Sunday at 1 p.m. for the final game of the series.
GAME 1: Loyola 2, Xavier 1 (7)
The first game was a low-scoring affair, but the Wolf Pack scored the game's first run in the opening frame. Tucker Ganley and Payton Alexander started the game with back-to-back walks, then Peyton Lacoste walked with one out to quickly load the bases. Kason Cullins was hit by a pitch during the next at-bat to give the Pack a 1-0 lead.
Despite the rocky first inning, the Xavier starter didn't allow a Wolf Pack hit until the fifth inning after the Gold Rush tied the game 1-1 in the fourth. Ganley got Loyola's first hit with one out in the fifth, and he moved to second when Alexander was walked. A Michael Calamari base hit one batter later put the Wolf Pack up 2-1.
Brett Fisackerly got the start for Loyola and pitched two innings while only giving up two hits, then Wyatt Lankford and Jacob Coleman combined to throw the next three innings before Matthew Champagne entered in the sixth inning to earn a six-out save. Champagne struck out three and gave up just one hit during his outing, but he did have to pitch around the tying run reaching base in the seventh. With one out, Champagne got two of his strikeouts to close out the contest.
GAME 2: Loyola 10, Xavier 4 (7)
Again, the Wolf Pack started the game by scoring in the first inning, this time pushing four runs across in the frame. Alexander tripled with one out and he scored off a Calamari single to center, then Allen Dennis doubled to quickly put a second base runner on the base paths. After Calamari scored when the Xavier pitcher tried to pick-off Dennis at second to make it 2-0, the Wolf Pack loaded the bases with two outs, and an Aaron Davis double down the line extended the advantage to 4-0 early in Game 2.
The two starting pitchers put zeros on the board in the second and third inning, but the Gold Rush scratched two runs across in the fourth inning to cut the score to 4-2. The next inning, however, Loyola plated six runs off just one hit and two errors to blow the game open, 10-2. Pinch-runner Zach Cook scored on an error, Dennis and Kason Cullins scored during consecutive at-bats after bases-loaded walks, and Peyton Lacoste pushed the lead to 8-2 when he scored on a passed ball. Brandon Duhon brought Kaleb Fontenot home with a sacrifice fly, and Davis scored the sixth run of the inning after a fielder's choice hit in the infield.
Xavier mildly narrowed the gap with two runs in the top of the sixth, but Rhyse Dee entered to pitch and quickly squashed the Gold Rush's rally. The senior pitched the final 1.2 innings with three strikeouts while giving up just one hit. Brenden Taravella started the game and pitched four strong innings to earn the win. He struck out seven and gave up two earned runs on five hits to help the Pack get the win.
On Brenden Taravella's start:
"Brenden has been doing that all year and he did it tonight. He's been throwing three pitches for strikes and competing. We just got to extend him out a little bit more where he can stay in a little bit longer. He didn't walk anybody and struck a bunch of guys out. All three of those guys (Taravella, Trace Messina and Dee) did a really good job (in Game 2).
On switching up the defensive lineup:
We made some defensive adjustments. Our defense just hasn't been good enough and we're trying to find the right combination. Allen has been a great first baseman, so we worked him (at third base) this week in practice, and he did a good job tonight. He looked like a natural out there. Michael Calamari is a natural first baseman. He's a first baseman playing left field, so moving him to first is easy."
Pack Facts
The save for Matthew Champagne in Game 1 was the first of his career.
Including both games Saturday, Tucker Ganley has reached base in all eight of his starts this season.
Brenden Taravella's seven strikeouts in Game 2 were a season-high, and his highest total since February 16, 2019 when he had nine.
Allen Dennis's three hits in Game 2 were the most for any Wolf Pack hitter between the two games.
This was the sixth multi-hit game of the season for Dennis. Payton Alexander and Michael Calamari each also have six multi-hit games in 2021.
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
