The LeTourneau University baseball swept a doubleheader from East Texas Baptist University on Monday night, 3-2 (9 innings) and 4-0 (7 innings) in Shreveport, Louisiana.

With weather conditions moving the game to Centenary College and Shehee Stadium, the YellowJackets and the Tigers coaching staffs agreed to move the ASC doubleheader. One of the amenities of Shehee Stadium is the synthetic turf infield that helped make the twinbill possible.

With temperatures in the 70's, it proved to be the perfect backdrop for the doubleheader.


Game 1
LeTourneau (7-4, 5-2 ASC) built a lead on a pair of occasions in game one of the doubleheader only to see ETBU (9-5, 2-3 ASC) rally to tie it. There were no chances for a comeback on the third occasion when junior pinch-hitter Brandon Applewhite came off the bench to deliver a one-out RBI single scoring senior Ryan Bertram from second in the ninth.

Bertram led off the inning with a single, then he moved into to scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by senior David Perkins. Then, the YellowJackets called on the left-handed Applewhite to face Jimmy Russo. The Rhome, Texas native answered the call with a single to plate Bertram for the game-winning run for his second pinch hit of the season.

To set the stage for the heroics, LETU junior reliever Josh Gimre entered the game with the Tigers threatening in the top of the ninth. The Tigers had runners on first and second with one out after back-to-back walks. The side-winding delivery of Gimre induced a ground ball to sophomore Kyle Jacobs at second to start an inning-ending double play.

In the win, LETU had eight hits including a pair from Sean Sellers and Bryce Henry, who also each scored a run. In a no decision, YellowJacket starter Cody Whitley pitched seven innings, scattering nine hits and striking out four.

East Texas Baptist had 10 hits in the loss and stranded 10 runners on base in the defeat. Russo pitched the final two innings in relief in the loss to fall to 1-1. Seven of the nine Tigers had a hit including Ashley Dukes, who led the attack with three hits.

LETU scored first in the third inning on a RBI ground out by Taylor Empkey. Then, the Tigers tied it in the fourth. The game remained tied until the 5^th inning when Henry tripled to the gap in left-center field for the YellowJackets. Next, Sellers drove in Henry on a RBI single for a 2-1 lead in favor of LeTourneau.

The Tigers, again, rallied to tie it in the sixth at 2. The game remained tied until the heroics by both Gimre on the mound and Applewhite at the plate for the victorious YellowJackets.

Game 2
LETU controlled the game from the first pitch to the final out in the nightcap, blanking ETBU by a 4-0 score. Junior starter Jordan Carns pitched his second-straight complete game, holding the Tigers to just four hits in the shutout. He did not a walk and struck out three to raise his record to 2-0 and maintain a 0.00 ERA.

Carns got the first run of support in the second inning. Ryan Bertram reached on an infield single, then he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kyle Jacobs. Next, the YellowJackets put runners on the corners with a Brandon Applewhite singled up the middle to set the stage for senior Caleb Pritchett. The LETU right fielder nearly had an infield single but a hustling Bertram scored on the RBI ground out.

Then, LETU stretched its lead to 2-0 in the third inning on a RBI single by Dillon Yates. Earlier in the inning, Sellers extended his hitting streak to five with a hustling double to right-center field. A ground out by Taylor Empkey moved Sellers to third. Following a fielder's choice by David Perkins put runners on the corners for Yates, who singled to left to plate Sellers. RBI singles in the fifth by Bertram and Pritchett stretched the margin to 4-0.

With plenty of offensive support, Carns shut down ETBU not allowing a runner into scoring position in the win. The LETU offense had nine hits including two each by Brandon Applewhite, Ryan Bertram and Dillon Yates.

ETBU starter Jordan Wilkerson pitched five innings of baseball, allowing nine hits, four runs (all earned) and struck out four in the defeat to fall 2-2.

The two teams wrap up the series on Tuesday at 6 p.m. with the action moving back to Longview and LETU's Conrad-Vernon Field.