No. 7 Wolf Pack completes sweep of (RV) IU Southeast

WESTWEGO – The No. 7-ranked Loyola Wolf Pack baseball team improved its record to 9-1 on Saturday, defeating (RV) Indiana University Southeast twice to complete the four-game sweep. The Wolf Pack started the day with a 5-2 win before using a come-from-behind effort to win the finale, 10-7. 
 

Through the first 10 games of the 2026 season, Loyola has seven wins over teams either ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 preseason poll. 
 

The Wolf Pack hits the road for the first time next weekend, traveling to Pineville, Louisiana, home of Louisiana Christian University, for three neutral-site games. They'll first play Midland (Neb.) and Brescia (Ky.) on Friday before a matchup with Saint Francis (Ind.) concludes the weekend on Saturday. 
 

Game 1: #7 Loyola 5, (RV) IU Southeast 2 (7)

Ayden Authement scored Loyola's first run with heads-up base running in the third inning. Standing on second with one out, Authement tagged up for third after a foul-out to the IUSE first baseman. A throwing error allowed Authement to sprint home, 1-0, but the Grenadiers answered with a tying run in the top of the third. 
 

Loyola regained the lead in the bottom of the third when a groundout by Authement led to Nathan McDonald scoring, 2-1. McDonald also picked up an RBI in the fourth when he doubled to left field to bring home JJ Garcia, 3-1. The Pack opened the game up a little more with two more runs in the fifth, 5-1. With pinch runner Kash Koontz on third and Jed Cambre on second, Drew Lee brought home the first run on a ground ball to the IUSE first baseman. Then, a bases-loaded walk for Jaxon Buratt scored Loyola's fifth run of the game. 
 

Michael Hotard got the start and pitched a gem for the Wolf Pack. He earned the win after six innings of three-hit ball. The Grenadiers only scored one run off Hotard, and the junior struck out nine. He struck out the side twice and left six runners on base throughout his outing. 
 

Game 2: #7 Loyola 10, (RV) IU Southeast 7

Loyola struck first with four runs through the first three innings, and it started with two in the first frame. Garcia and McDonald singled to start things, and Jovan Swasey walked to load the bases with no outs. McKenzie delivered during the next at-bat, bringing home two runs on a single to left field. Swasey picked up an RBI in the second inning on a sacrifice fly to center, 3-0, and a Ben Harris single in the third scored Authement, 4-0. 
 

IU Southeast pushed its first run across in the top of the fourth, but the Wolf Pack answered with two more runs to push their lead to 6-1. Authement's double down the left-field line scored Jed Cambre and Koontz. 
 

While Loyola's bats were scoring runs, Ryder Loup was holding the IUSE's bats at bay. He worked the first 5.1 innings with seven strikeouts and three hits allowed. He struck out four straight at one point, but did allow a couple more runs to cross in the sixth inning. 
 

After the sixth inning, Loyola held a 6-4 lead, but the Grenadiers scored three more runs to take their first lead, 7-6, after seven innings. 
 

Loyola regained the lead with a four-run eighth, 10-7, and it all happened with two outs. IU Southeast got the first two outs quickly, then Authement continued his hot hitting with a single to right field. Pinch hitter John Lewis was hit by a pitch, and a pinch-hit single by Reed Duthu tied the game, 7-7. Buratt scored two more runs when he landed one over the left-fielder's head, 9-7, and Swasey got the final run home on an infield single with the bases loaded two batters later. 
 

The relief pitching the final 2.1 innings was fantastic, and it started when Prescott Marsh got the final out of the seventh inning while stranding two runners. Danik Reed received the win with a one-hit eighth inning, and Jake Cohen picked up his second save of the season with a 10-pitch ninth inning. 
 

Pack Facts

• Ayden Authement had a massive Game 2 on Saturday, going 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles and two runs scored, including the tying run in the eighth inning. 

• Authement is one of three players hitting at least .500 through the team's first 10 games. He's 11-for-21 (.524) at the plate with nine runs scored and seven RBI. 

• Jaxon Buratt (.625) has continued to hit well in the ninth spot in the order. His 2-RBI double to left put the Wolf Pack ahead in the eighth inning in Game 2, and now he has had at least one hit and one RBI in every game he's played this season. 

• Nathan McDonald, who's hitting .500 this season, went 3-for-3 with a double in Game 1 Saturday. He's on a 10-game hitting streak to start the season and leads the team with 17 hits, 14 RBI. 

• Jordan McKenzie has also registered a hit in all 10 games this season and is second on the team with 15 hits, 13 RBI. 

• After going hitless in the first game of the series, JJ Garcia bounced back to record six hits over the next three games, including three in the series finale. Garcia leads the team with 14 runs scored across 10 starts. 

• Michael Hotard's nine strikeouts in Game 1 are the most in a game by a Wolf Pack pitcher so far this season. 

• Ryder Loup upped his career high in strikeouts after throwing six in relief last week with seven more in Game 2 Saturday. 

• Loup and Hotard are tied for the team lead with 13 strikeouts thrown this season. The two starters combined to only allow four runs through nearly 12 combined innings on Saturday. 

• Frank Fernandez has pitched against all three Wolf Pack opponents this season, allowing no earned runs through his first four appearances. 

• Jake Cohen closed out the ninth inning to earn the save in Game 2 Saturday, his second save of the season. 

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