LONGVIEW - The LeTourneau YellowJacket baseball team returned to Conrad-Vernon Field on Friday evening to open up American Southwest Conference play against the Louisiana College Wildcats. Wildcat starter Madison Lachney kept the Jackets hitters guessing all night as he led his team to a 3-1 win on the road.

Neither team got anything going throughout the first two innings, but the Wildcats (7-6, 1-0 ASC) struck for a run in the third to go up 1-0. LeTourneau (9-3, 0-1 ASC) responded in the bottom half of the third with runners on first and third and one out after an error and a base hit by senior Rhett Bohannon. Junior Bryce Griffin grounded out to first to score a run and tie the game at one.

However, thanks to an error in the fourth inning by the Jackets, Louisiana College plated two more unearned runs for the 3-1 lead.

LeTourneau went down quietly in the fourth and fifth, but got something cooking as junior Chris Bertram laced a double to left with one away. However, Lachney worked out of the jam as the score held at 3-1.

The Jackets could not get anything else going on the night and dropped their first ASC contest of the season.

Sophomore Cody Whitley (3-2) took the loss, despite pitching seven complete innings and only allowing one earned run. Junior Jordan Price saw two innings of action and was very impressive in the ninth, keeping a runner at third with no outs by getting two grounds outs and a strikeout.

Offensively, LeTourneau could only muster up four hits on the evening with no player with multi-hits. Bohannon, C. Bertram, junior Garrett Methvin, and senior Jay Lutz were the only ones to come away with anything in the hit column.

The Jackets will look to regroup as they return to the field tomorrow afternoon for a doubleheader against the Wildcats. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. and there will be a live broadcast of the game via Pack Network at letuathletics.tv.