No. 13 Loyola wins midweek matchup with LCU

WESTWEGO – The 13th-ranked Loyola Wolf Pack exacted a little revenge with a 10-3 win over Louisiana Christian on Tuesday. After losing a midweek contest earlier this season, the Pack dominated the rematch to split the season series with their in-state rivals. 
 

The win moves Loyola to 32-11 overall this season, and it'll host another non-conference game on Tuesday against Spring Hill at 5 p.m. 
 

Loyola answered LCU's solo home run in the first inning with two runs in the bottom half of the frame. Brandon Mooney and Jaxon Buratt walked and were hit by a pitch to get things going, then a passed ball moved the two runners into scoring position. Anthony Fernandez and Collin Zeringue picked up back-to-back RBI on sacrifice flies to make it a 2-1 Loyola lead. 
 

Landon Manson and Kason Cullins extended the Pack's lead to 5-1 in the third inning with home runs during consecutive at-bats. Manson did it with Fernandez on base while Cullins' was a solo shot one batter later. Prescott Marsh kept the inning going with a single up the middle, and after Aaron Davis moved him to second on a sacrifice bunt, Jake Mills brought him home, 6-1, off a single to right. 
 

Manson made it a 7-1 lead in the fourth with an RBI single to plate Buratt, who led off the frame with a walk, then two runs in the fifth pushed Loyola's advantage to 9-1. With Mooney at third and Buratt at second, Zeringue put one down the right-field line to bring home both runners. 
 

After LCU scratched across one run in the seventh, 9-2, Loyola used four walks in the eighth inning to make it a 10-2 lead, with Buratt getting the RBI bases-loaded walk. The Wildcats got one more in the ninth to bring the game to its final, 10-3. 
 

Besides giving up the first-inning homer, Matthew Weil was efficient in his two innings of pre-determined work as the starter. That was the only hit he allowed, delivering 16 strikes on 23 total pitches to face one more than the minimum. Andrew Riedell pitched the third and fourth innings while only allowing one baserunner via a walk. After a 1-2-3 third, he gave up the two-out walk for his only blemish. The two combined to retire 10 straight batters after that home run in the first. 
 

Luca Tosca took the ball in the fifth and picked up right where the first two pitchers left off, retiring the LCU batters in order with two strikeouts on just 13 pitches. He struck out another in the sixth with another 1-2-3 frame as well to end his outing with three strikeouts. Carter Holstein did allow a run on two hits in the seventh but bounced back for a clean inning in the eighth to finish his outing with two strikeouts. 
 

Pack Facts

• With two runs scored on Tuesday, Brandon Mooney has tied his own single-season program runs record with 63 runs scored this season.

• Kason Cullins had his best offensive performance of the year, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a left-field home run. 

• Landon Manson went 3-for-4 with a home run, finishing with three RBI for the game.

• Manson and Cullins each have three homers this season, with five of those coming within the past week. 

• Collin Zeringue drove in three runs to give him 50 RBI on the year.

• Jaxon Buratt reached base five different times after walking twice, hitting two singles, and getting hit by a pitch. 

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