Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The Wolf Pack baseball program hosted the University of the Southwest at Segnette Field on Tuesday, splitting the non-conference doubleheader
WESTWEGO – Tuesday was a tale of two different games for the Loyola Wolf Pack baseball team, as they hosted the University of the Southwest Mustangs for a non-conference doubleheader. The Pack started the day with a 9-2 win before dropping the nightcap 5-4 to USW.
Loyola is now 15-13 overall and it'll take its 3-3 Southern States Athletic Conference record to Blue Mountain College this weekend. The Wolf Pack and Toppers will begin their three-game set with a doubleheader on Friday starting at 4 p.m.
Game 1: Loyola 9, USW 2
After a scoreless first inning for both teams, Loyola pushed across the game's first runs in the bottom of the second inning off just one hit. That hit came from Cameron Trosclair, as the freshman led off the frame with a solo home run over the left-field fence. Ross Scelfo walked during the next at-bat, and pinch-runner Garrett Beadle got to third base after another walk and a stolen base. Jake Mills picked up the RBI on a groundout to third to make it 2-0.
Loyola used just one hit to extend its advantage with four more runs in the fourth inning. Aaron Davis started with a walk and stole second before Jake Mills walked. Payton Alexander's sacrifice fly moved the two runners into scoring position, and an Allen Dennis double scored the them both, 4-0. After Dennis stole third base, Luke Clement brought him home, 5-0, with a groundout, then Kason Cullins, who reached base on a walk, scored on a wild pitch, 6-0.
The Mustangs cut into the lead a little with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth, but the Pack got those runs back and more in the bottom half of the fifth and sixth innings. A one-out single by Christopher Bohrer led to another Mills RBI to make it a 7-2 ballgame, then Dennis led off the sixth with a triple to get things going again. Clement followed up with a double, 8-2, and scored a couple of batters later when Bohrer singled, 9-2.
The Wolf Pack used five pitchers in the contest, but Matthew Champagne earned the win with two innings of work. The Luling, Louisiana, native struck out a pair and allowed just one hit during his outing. Christian Mejia and Reid Perkins combined to pitch the final 2.1 innings of no-hit ball.
Game 2: USW 5, Loyola 4
Each team came out of the gates firing with two runs apiece in the second game of the doubleheader. Mills and Alexander started with a single and a walk, respectively, and after a double steal, Clement brought the first run home with a groundout. Alexander made it 2-2 when Cameron Trosclair reached base on an error by the Mustangs' third baseman.
USW pushed one run across in each of the fourth and fifth innings before the Pack could answer with a lone run in the fifth. Dennis walked with one out in that frame and he moved to third on a bad pick-off attempt by the USW pitcher. He would score during the same at-bat when Clement doubled to right field. The Pack even tied the game in the bottom of the sixth after Beadle led off with a walk and later scored on two straight wild pitches, 4-4.
The Mustangs, however, scored the go-ahead run in the seventh, and the USW closer stranded a Loyola base runner to end it. The story of the game for the Wolf Pack was leaving runners on base, too, as they stranded 10 in the contest.
Again, Loyola used five pitchers in the game in an effort to get more guys live action. Mitchell Cope highlighted the day with a near-perfect sixth inning, striking out two and only facing four batters.
Wolf Pack head coach Jeremy Kennedy
On Mitchell Cope:
"Mitchell has been doing his stuff on the side and waiting for an opportunity. He did a good job tonight and took advantage of it. That's good to see. He threw strikes, had some conviction to him, and threw a breaking ball for a strike. If he does that, we think he can help us."
On Luke Clement and Cameron Trosclair's batting:
"(Luke) squared it up consistently all day and had a bunch of good at-bats. We had several good at-bats today. Cam had some good at-bats, too. He's starting to settle in. There's a lot to get used to from a mental standpoint (in college baseball), not a physical one. I think he's starting to step up and it shows."
Pack Facts
Six different players recorded hits in each of today's games. In Game 1, four players also recorded multi-hit games.
Luke Clement recorded a hit in each game and now owns the longest active hitting streak on the team at six games.
In Game 1, six different players stole a base, with Kason Cullins stealing twice.
Allen Dennis hit a double and a triple in Game 1, driving in two runs and scoring two in the process.
Dennis has tallied 46 doubles in his career, which is fourth-most in Loyola history. His five career triples also put him in the Loyola record book again, as he now sits in a six-way tie for seventh in most career triples.
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.
