JACKSON, Tenn. – After trailing by as many as seven runs Thursday night at the SSAC Baseball Championship, Loyola University New Orleans battled back to defeat Tennessee Southern 16-10 in a game that ended after midnight Friday morning. 
 

The Wolf Pack is now 2-0 in pool play, and they'll take on William Carey, which is also 2-0, at 4 p.m. for the right to play in Saturday's tournament title game. 
 

The Firehawks scored seven of their runs in the first two innings, using four Wolf Pack errors and just three hits to plate those runs. Loyola starter Brady Bowen weathered the storm, though. He sat down UT Southern 1-2-3 in the third and fourth innings, then left a runner stranded in the fifth. Bowen's gutsy performance ended in the sixth when he allowed a couple of base runners, who both eventually scored. 
 

That gave the Loyola offense plenty of time to score its runs, scoring three runs in the fourth, five in the fifth, and four each in the sixth and seventh. While Loyola totaled 12 hits in the contest, it also took advantage of the free passes, too, with 14 walks and seven hit by pitches. Six UT Southern errors also aided the Wolf Pack. 
 

Trailing 7-0 in the fourth, Drew Lee and Ben Harris started the inning with a hit and a hit by pitch, then JJ Garcia hit a ball that got by the UT Southern left-fielder to score the first two runs. Garcia came home on a balk to cut the deficit to four, 7-3. 
 

Loyola's biggest inning came in the fifth, when it scored five times to take the 8-7 lead. Myles Liggans walked with the bases loaded, 7-4, and courtesy runner Kash Koontz beat out a fielder's choice play at the plate during the next at-bat, 7-5. Jaxon Buratt and Nathan McDonald singled during consecutive plate appearances after that to score the next three runs. 
 

Liggans had another bases-loaded walk in the sixth, 9-7, and Koontz scored on a wild pitch one batter later, 10-7. Liggans eventually came home when McDonald grounded out, 11-7, and Garcia scored when UT Southern threw the ball away on a failed pickoff attempt, 12-7. 
 

After the Firehawks plated the two runs in the bottom of the seventh, 12-9, the Wolf Pack got those runs back and more in the top of the seventh. A bunt squeeze play by Liggans got Koontz home, 13-9, followed by another bases-loaded walk, 14-9, this time with McDonald at the plate. Ayden Authement had a sacrifice fly, 15-9, and Hunter Ponson singled home another run, 16-9, one batter later. 
 

Cole Bordes pitched the final 3.1 innings to help preserve the bullpen for more tournament play. He struck out three during his outing and allowed UT Southern's final run in the eighth inning while giving up four hits. 
 

Pack Facts

• Shaking off a slow start, Brady Bowen settled in to keep UT Southern scoreless over the third, fourth, and fifth innings, eventually picking up his sixth win of the season. 

• Bowen is now tied for the seventh-most pitching wins in program history with 17 for his career. He's also just the second Wolf Pack pitcher to throw over 250 strikeouts. 

• Cole Bordes closed out the final 3.1 innings to earn his fourth career save at Loyola.

• Despite not starting in the game, Myles Liggans led the game with four runs scored, and he tied for a game high with four RBI. At the plate, he was 1-for-2 with two walks. 

• Starting at first base, Hunter Ponson went 3-for-6 at the plate with a walk and an RBI. 

• Drew Lee, who hit a late double for Loyola's only extra-base hit, reached base five different times after going 2-for-3 at the plate with two walks and a hit by pitch. 

• Ayden Authement also reached five times, going 1-for-2 with four walks and a sacrifice fly. 

• JJ Garcia and Ben Harris each scored three runs in the game, while Garcia also had two hits. 

• Jaxon Buratt went 1-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. He moved into seventh in the Wolf Pack record book in career RBI with 120 for his career. 
   

SSAC Championship Schedule

Pool A: 
#1 Abraham Baldwin (2-0)
#4 Mobile (0-2)
#5 Faulkner (2-0)
#8 Brewton-Parker Christian (0-2)
 

Pool B: 
#2 William Carey (2-0)
#3 Thomas (0-2)
#6 Loyola (2-0)
#7 UT Southern (0-2)
 

Wednesday, April 29
Game 1 | #5 Faulkner def. #4 Mobile, 8-4
Game 2 | #1 Abraham Baldwin def. #8 Brewton-Parker, 15-4 (7)
Game 3 | vs. #2 William Carey def. #7 UT Southern, 15-1 (7)
Game 4 | #6 Loyola def. #3 Thomas, 5-4
 

Thursday, April 30
Game 5 | #5 Faulkner def. #8 Brewton-Parker, 5-1
Game 6 | #1 Abraham Baldwin def. #4 Mobile, 8-7
Game 7 | #2 William Carey def. #3 Thomas, 9-8
Game 8 | #6 Loyola def. #7 UT Southern, 16-10
 

Friday, May 1
Game 9 | 10:00 AM | #8 Brewton-Parker vs. #4 Mobile
Game 10 | 1:00 PM | #1 Abraham Baldwin vs. #5 Faulkner
Game 11 | 4:00 PM | #2 William Carey vs. #6 Loyola
Game 12 | 7:00 PM | #7 UT Southern vs. #3 Thomas
 

Saturday, May 2
Championship Game | 1:00 PM | Pool A Champ v. Pool B Champ
 

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