Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 After losing the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, the 12th-ranked Wolf Pack salvaged a game in the series with an 8-7 win in the finale
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The 12th-ranked Loyola University New Orleans baseball team split Saturday's doubleheader with No. 6 Faulkner, ending the weekend 1-2 against the Eagles to start Southern States Athletic Conference play. After losing the first game of the day in heartbreaking fashion, 2-1, the Wolf Pack rallied to salvage a game in the series with an 8-7 win in the nightcap.
Loyola (11-11) is set to return to Segnette Field with four games this week, first hosting in-state foe, LSU Alexandria on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Game 1: No. 6 Faulkner 2, No. 12 Loyola 1
In a low-scoring affair, the Eagles walked it off in the bottom of the seventh to claim the series with a 2-1 win in Saturday's opening game. Faulkner started the scoring with a run in the fourth inning before Loyola tied the game in the sixth.
Like on Friday, the Wolf Pack scored their lone run off a home run, this time off the bat of Luke Clement. With one out in the sixth, Clement hit his second home run of the season to tie the ballgame. However, the Eagles were able to put the first two runners on base in the seventh before getting the game-winning double to end the game, 2-1.
Stephen Still got the start for the Wolf Pack and pitched well, striking out 10 over 5.1 innings while allowing one earned run off four hits.
Game 2: No. 12 Loyola 8, No. 6 Faulkner 7
The Wolf Pack rebounded with a come-from-behind win in the series finale, scoring runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to leave Montgomery with a win. Although, Loyola was the first to score in the game, plating two in the first inning off two hits an error. Jake Mills started the game by reaching base on a hit-by-pitch, then Payton Alexander singled to quickly apply the pressure on the Eagles. Mills would end up scoring on a wild pitch, and Alexander came around to score after Clement singled to left-center.
Faulkner took its first lead in the third inning with four runs, but the Pack bounced back with a three-spot in the next half-inning. Clement started the frame with a single, moving over to third off a wild pitch with two outs later in the inning. A batted ball by Tyler Hopkins to the Faulkner third baseman resulted in Loyola's first run of the inning, as the Eagles' defense committed an error on the play to allow both runners to advance. Mills walked during the next at-bat, then a double by Alexander gave Loyola a lead again, 5-4.
The Eagles, however, scored two in the bottom half of the frame and another run in the sixth to jump back ahead, 7-5. Those would be the final Faulkner runs, though, as the Wolf Pack started their comeback in the top of the seventh inning. Clement walked with the bases loaded in the seventh to cut the score to one, then a bases-loaded wild pitch tied the game in the eighth inning. After Kason Cullins started the ninth with a double, Aaron Davis delivered the go-ahead RBI with two outs later in the frame to give Loyola the edge.
Joshua Orr earned the win in relief after throwing the final three innings with four strikeouts. The true freshman only allowed three hits and allow no walks or runs to help Loyola's offense mount the comeback. Freshman Brady Bowen deserves some credit, too, pitching 2.2 relief innings with four strikeouts while allowing one earned run off two hits.
Pack Facts:
Stephen Still struck out a season-high 10 batters in the first game of the day, and that also tied a career-high for the sophomore left-hander. He now leads the team with 35 strikeouts in 31 innings this season.
Joshua Orr earned his first career win in the second game on Saturday, pitching the final three innings while allowing no more Faulkner runs.
Allen Dennis had four at-bats throughout the two games, and he's now recorded 672 at-bats in his career. That's good enough for fifth all-time in program history.
While Dennis snapped his four-game history streak, he still reached base in the second game on Saturday to push his on-base streak to five games.
After Payton Alexander snapped his 36-game on-base streak earlier this season, the senior has now reached base in the last 10 games since his streak ended. That's 46 games on base in the last 47 for the reigning SSAC Player of the Year. He's also on a three-game hitting streak.
Aaron Davis had a three-game hitting streak entering the day, but he saw that end after going hitless in the first game. However, Grand Prairie, Texas, native responded with his first career three-hit game in Game 3 of the series.
Cameron Trosclair walked in both games on Saturday to improve his on-base streak to six straight games. Tyler Hopkins and Allen Dennis also improved their on-base streaks to five consecutive games as well.
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.
