Baseball improves win streak to seven

WESTWEGO – The Loyola Wolf Pack are spending the week away from Southern States Athletic Conference play, and it started with a Tuesday evening matchup with Xavier at Segnette Field. The Pack took down the Gold Rush in seven innings, 17-7, to start a five-game week. Loyola will now travel to Miami Gardens, Florida, to face (RV) St. Thomas in four games Friday through Sunday. 
 

The dangerous top of the order for Loyola got things going quickly, as Brandon Mooney singled up the middle and Garrett Felix doubled to deep center to put two in scoring position with no outs in the first inning. Cole Romero and Collin Zeringue had back-to-back ground outs to plate the runs, 2-0. 
 

The two teams combined to score 15 runs in the fourth and fifth innings, trading the lead a couple of times as well. After XULA tied it with two runs in the top of the fourth, the Wolf Pack responded in the bottom half with four two-out runs. The Xavier pitcher got two quick outs, but Anthony Fernandez walked and stole second to get into scoring position, then Fernandez gave the Pack the lead, 3-2, on an infield error. Jake Mills and Mooney were walked and hit by a pitch during the next two at-bats, and Felix and Romero came through with consecutive RBI base hits, 6-2. 
 

The Gold Rush came back with five runs in the top of the fifth, 7-6, but the Wolf Pack answered again with four more runs in the bottom half. Fernandez recorded the first RBI on a fielder's choice, 7-7, and a double steal play with Ben Harris at first and Fernandez on third gave Loyola the lead again, 8-7. Jake Mills singled to set up an RBI hit by Mooney, 9-7, and Romero later brought home Mooney, 10-7, to complete the scoring in the inning.
 

Loyola continued to pile it on the Gold Rush with seven more runs in the sixth to setup the run-rule victory. The highlight of the inning came off the bat of Romero, sending a pitch 388 feet over the left-center field wall to give Loyola the 17-7 lead. Drew Lee and Jed Cambre each had two-RBI base hits prior to Romero's homer, and Mooney also had an RBI on a groundout. 
 

Thomas Hakimian got the start and pitched the first two innings, allowing two hits with a couple of strikeouts. Charlie Nicholls worked the third and struck out two in a 1-2-3 frame, and Matthew Weil earned the win after logging two innings with three strikeouts and only giving up one hit. Grant Goodbee closed things out in the seventh with a three up, three down frame. 
 

Pack Facts

• This was Loyola's fifth win by the 10-run rule this season. 

• Brandon Mooney went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. It was his eighth game in a row with multiple hits. 

• Cole Romero's two-run home run, his 13th with the Pack, was part of a 3-for-5 day at the plate, including five total runs batted in. Loyola's RBI leader in 2023, Romero also leads the team in that category this year with 25. 

• Mooney and Romero both have recorded at least one hit in all but one game this season. 

• Garrett Felix went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBi and a run scored. Felix has had three straight multi-hit games and his .449 batting average is second on the team. 

• Jake Mills reached base all four times he stepped up to the plate, scoring three runs. 

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