Box Score LONGVIEW, Texas – Despite being outhit in the contest, the LeTourneau University baseball team would make the most six walks and five hit batters to double up Centenary College by a final score of 8-4 at Conrad-Vernon Field on Tuesday, March 26th.
Earning a season-series win over the Gents, LETU is now 15-9 overall while Centenary falls below .500 to 12-13-1.
The Gents would look to take an early lead in the top of the first with a one out single and two stolen bases, but the YellowJackets would escape the jam by getting a strikeout and groundout to strand a runner at third and come away unscathed.
Four of LETU's first five batters would safely reach base in the game as
Cody Lee would drive in
Lee Hosie and Jacob jones on a one-out two-RBI single to put LeTourneau up 2-0 after one inning of play before seeing Centenary respond with a run of their own in the top of the second.
LeTourneau would wind up stranding a runner in the second and play a scoreless third against Centenary to send things to the fourth where the Gents would use a walk and bunt single to put two runners on. Following a sacrifice bunt to move runners into scoring position, the Gents tie things at 2-2 with an RBI single and execute a double-steal to take a 3-2 lead. The inning would end when Chris Haggar would try to stretch a single into a double as the final out of the inning would be recorded at second prior to the another run crossing home plate to leave the score a one-run margin in favor of the Gents.
Wasting little time, LETU would see two quick outs before starting a rally by using a hit batter and error to put the game-tying runner on third for Hosie who would tie things on an RBI single. After stealing second, Hosie would come around to score after snagging two bases on a muffed throw by the first baseman that would have ended the inning as the YellowJackets reclaimed the lead at 4-3 heading to the fifth.
LETU added one run in the fifth by seeing another similar scenario play out with a two-out single by
Weston McKinley becoming a runner at third following a failed pickoff attempt that allowed McKinley to move to third before scoring on an infield single by
Tristan Wilson. The YellowJacket lead would grow again in the sixth as a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt by Jones allowed both
Jacob Faubion and Hosie to score and put LeTourneau up 7-3.
One more run would be added by LeTourneau in the bottom of the seventh as two walks and back-to-back hit batters with two outs would bring across a run for LETU to make the score 8-3 as the YellowJackets would be in full control heading to the eighth.
Centenary wouldn't go down without a fight however, putting the first two batters of both the eighth and ninth innings aboard, but would strand two runners in both innings as only a single run in the ninth would be scored.
Earning his first win of the season would be
Luke Ludwig who would throw two innings in relief and allow two runs on three hits while striking out two.
Jared Schurig would toss 3.1 innings and strike out three while retiring the first nine batters he faced while
Kolton Eberlan (2.0 innings) and
Ryder Lognion (1.2 innings) also saw action on the mound.
Two of LeTourneau's six hits would come from Hosie as the senior would finish the game two-for-two with a pair of singles, two hit-by-pitches, and one walk. Lee would lead the YellowJackets with two RBI while the six LeTourneau walks would all be drawn by different players.
What's Next?
For the first time since March 9th, LETU will take on an American Southwest Conference foe when they play host to Louisiana College at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 28th. The three-game series was moved up one day to Thursday-Friday due to the potential for adverse weather on Saturday afternoon.
