Loyola sees best start in school history

WESTWEGO – The Loyola Wolf Pack baseball team continued their hot start to the 2024 season, taking down Thomas University, 11-1, in both teams' Southern States Athletic Conference opener. Loyola (7-0, 1-0 in SSAC) and the Night Hawks (9-3, 0-1) will meet back at Segnette Field for two more games on Friday beginning at 12 p.m. 
 

While the Loyola bats were hot the entire game, Stephen Still was dealing on the mound to earn his third win of the season. He pitched five innings of one-hit ball with eight strikeouts and just one walk. He allowed the walk in the first inning and hit a batter in the fourth, but he kept the Night Hawks hitless until the fifth inning. 
 

The Pack struck first in the opening frame, scoring two runs off two hits and an error. Prescott Marsh walked with two outs, then when he broke for second on a steal attempt, Collin Zeringue singled to center to easily allow Marsh to get to third. The Thomas right fielder, though, let the ball bounce out of his glove to allow Marsh to score and Zeringue to reach second. Tucker Ganley singled during the next at-bat to bring home Zeringue to quickly make it a 2-0 lead. 
 

Loyola added two more in the second inning. Jaxon Buratt started things with a one-out walk, and a single by Aaron Davis put runners on the corners. A balk moved the runners up a base, 3-0, and Jake Mills put runners on the corners again with an infield single before a wild pitch made the score 4-0. The Wolf Pack continued to add to their lead with a three-spot in the fourth. Davis led off with a single and a stolen base, and an RBI single by Mills made it a 5-0 lead. A double to right by Brandon Mooney and a Marsh sacrifice fly to deep center scored the next two runs to push Loyola's lead to 7-0. 
 

After Thomas recorded its first hit and scored its first run in the top of the fifth, Loyola got that run back and more in the next half-inning. Landon Manson walked with one out, and courtesy runner Landon Trosclair stole second to get into scoring position. He scored on a single by Buratt, and he came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Mooney. Finally, a bases-loaded walk for Marsh plated Davis to extend Loyola's lead to 10-1. 
 

Loyola ended things early in the seventh with its 11th run of the game. Mooney doubled down the left-field line to get things going, and he eventually scored on a failed pick-off by the Thomas pitcher, as his attempt to get Marsh at first base flew past the first baseman to easily bring home Mooney. 
 

Reid Perkins pitched a 1-2-3 frame in the sixth, as all three of his outs were flyouts to center, then Joshua Orr worked the seventh with a little bit of trouble on the base paths while not allowing a run. 
 

Pack Facts

• Loyola's 7-0 start to the season is the best in school history. 

• Stephen Still earned the 22nd win of his career after tossing eight strikeouts in five innings, only allowing two hits and one run. 

• Five different players (Brandon Mooney, Collin Zeringue, Jaxon Buratt, Aaron Davis, Jake Mills) had multiple hits as the Wolf Pack combined for 13 hits in Thursday's game. That's the most hits in a game this season for the Pack, and Loyola has reached double digits in the hit column four times this year. 

• Davis went 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored and a stolen base. It was his most hits in a game since March 4, 2023, when he also went 3-for-4 against Talladega. 

• Mills notched his third multi-hit game of the year, also going 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored. 

• Mills currently owns the longest hitting streak on the team at five straight games with a hit. 

• With his two hits, Mooney extended his on-base streak, as he's gotten on base in every game this season.