No. 7 Baseball takes series over Thomas

NEW ORLEANS – The seventh-ranked Loyola Wolf Pack baseball team responded on Saturday with a 7-3 win over Thomas University (Ga.) to open Southern States Athletic Conference play with a series win. Loyola (14-6, 2-1 in SSAC) returns to Segnette Field on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. non-conference match up with crosstown rival, Xavier. 
 

After Thomas struck first with two unearned runs in the first inning, the Wolf Pack answered with two in the bottom half. Jed Cambre led off with a walk, and he moved into scoring position on a failed pick-off attempt by the Thomas starter. After Nathan McDonald blooped one into center to put two on base, Cambre came home on a groundout to shortstop, 2-1. McDonald would later tie the game on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Drew Lee. 
 

The Pack added three more in the second inning to take a 5-2 lead. With two outs, Jaxon Buratt singled and Cambre walked. A single hit to the center fielder resulted in two runs scoring after an error, 4-2. Jovan Swasey picked up an RBI during the next at-bat with a single to right field. 
 

Loyola had two more two-out rallies in the third and fourth frames. Tanner Powell notched an RBI single to center in the third, 6-2, and McKenzie slapped one down the left-field line to score McDonald in the fourth, 7-2. 
 

Cole Bordes pitched a gem in his first start of the season. After giving up the two unearned runs, he faced just two over the minimum while holding the Night Hawks off the board through the sixth inning. He even turned in four stellar defensive plays from the bump, including two 1-6-3 double plays and one play where the batted ball took his glove off his hand but still made the play at first. 
 

Thomas was able to scratch one more run across in the seventh to bring the game to its final score of 7-3. 
 

Frank Fernandez did his job again in the setup role, and Jake Cohen earned the save after coming in to pitch in the ninth with the tying run on deck. With two on base, he struck out the three batters he faced to close the door. 
 

Pack Facts

• This is Jake Cohen's fifth consecutive game recording a save. His five saves place him in a tie for the seventh-most saves in a season and ninth most in a career in program history. 

• Through his first six appearances this season (14.0 innings pitched), Cole Bordes has a 2-0 record with a 2.57 ERA. His ERA is third on the team among those with multiple appearances, trailing only Cohen and Frank Fernandez, who have yet to give up an earned run. 

• Nathan McDonald went 2-for-4 in the game with three runs scored and an RBI. McDonald is tied with Jovan Swasey with 23 hits this season. 

• John Lewis had his first multi-hit effort of the season, going 2-for-4 at the plate 

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