WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. – The Loyola Wolf Pack baseball team's season came to an end on Wednesday, losing to St. Francis (Ind.), 6-4, in an NAIA National Championship Opening Round. The Pack finished their season 37-19, which is a new school record for wins in a season.
Loyola started the game by scoring in the opening half-inning, as Jaxon Buratt started things with a single to right field. Brandon Mooney moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, and a balk brought the freshman to third with one out. A double steal play with Kason Cullins on first allowed him to come home to give the Wolf Pack a 1-0 lead.
After the Cougars tied the game in the second, Loyola answered with a run in the top of the third to regain the lead, 2-1. Mooney walked with one out to give a base runner on, then back-to-back singles by Cullins and Marcus Steen scored Mooney. Again, USF tied the game, this time in the sixth, and again, the Wolf Pack went back ahead in the next half-inning. Buratt, Mooney and Cullins had consecutive singles in the seventh to put Loyola back in front, 3-2.
St. Francis, however, used a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead for good, 6-3. All of its runs came on home runs, too, with solo shots in the second and sixth innings. The Wolf Pack tried to claw their way back, scoring in the eighth on an RBI groundout off the bat of Buratt, but they stranded three total base runners in the final two frames.
Prescott Marsh got the start on the mound and pitched 5.1 strong innings, allowing the two solo home runs and five hits with three strikeouts.
Pack Facts
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Loyola batters combined for 11 hits, with four players (Jaxon Buratt, Kason Cullins, Landon Manson, and Jake Mills) recording two hits each.
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Buratt finished the season with a .432 batting average, setting a new program record for best batting average in a single season.
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Buratt totaled 79 hits in his freshman season, which is the fourth-most in a season in program history.
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After his senior season, Cullins is ranked sixth in program history in career RBI (116), eighth in eighth in career hits (196), eighth in career stolen bases (48), and ninth in career at-bats (620).
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In addition to breaking the program single-season runs record (73), Brandon Mooney also finished the year with 76 hits, which is tied with Allen Dennis (2022) for the sixth-most in a season in program history.
Williamsburg Opening Round
Monday, May 13
Game 1 | #5 Park 6, #4 St. Francis 1
Game 2 | #3 Loyola 6, #2 Bellevue 2
Game 3 | #1 Cumberlands 25 #5 Park 0
Tuesday, May 14
Game 4 | St. Francis 6 Bellevue 4
Game 5 | Cumberlands 16, Loyola 8
Game 6 | St. Francis 9, Park 7
Wednesday, May 15
Game 7 | St. Francis 6, Loyola 4
Game 8 | St. Francis vs. Cumberlands
Thursday, May 16
Game 9 | TBD | Winner of Game 8 vs. Loser of Game 8 (If Necessary)
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