| The Wildcat's win was the 300th in head coach Mike Byrnes's career. Louisiana College athletics photo by Karylon Thornton |
PINEVILLE, La. - After struggling for runs in the first two games of their series with Hardin-Simmons, the Louisiana College Wildcats finally broke through with a 12-run, 11-hit effort in a 12-5 win over the Cowboys Sunday at Billy Allgood field.
After dropping the first two games of the series 3-1 and 2-1, the Wildcats finally saw their offense come alive in time for them to salvage the third game and keep their American Southwest Conference Tournament hopes alive. LC now sits at 8-19 in conference play and 12-23, overall. They moved into ninth place in the ASC standings with a final three-game series at East Texas Baptist set for next weekend.
The win was also a milestone for LC coach Mike Byrnes as it was the 300th of his career as LC skipper. And, in example of why Byrnes has reached that mark, his insertion of some key players into the Sunday lineup paid off.
Lightly-used infielder Will Cox, playing his final home game as one of 12 seniors honored before the game, gave his team a boost from the 9-hole in the lineup as he finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Senior outfielder Kade Van Norman, who has struggled offensively this season, had maybe his finest game of the year with a 2-for-3 day that included two doubles, two runs scored and a run batted in.
It was Van Norman's double in the bottom of the first inning that tied the game at 1-1 after the Wildcats had committed two errors to fall behind in the top of the first. Van Norman later scored on a sacrifice fly from senior catcher Garrett Parsons.
After the Cats saw the game tied at 2-2 in the top of the second inning, thanks in part to another error, it was seniors Cary Myers and Cox who sparked at two-out rally in the bottom of the inning, Myers reached on a walk and Cox doubled him home. Cox then scored on an RBI single by freshman Sully Martin to give LC the 4-2 lead.
LC would producer a third straight two-run inning in the third when Parsons led off with a single, Jermaine Liggins followed with a double, and then both scored when Will Currier reached base on an error by HSU third baseman Caleb Jacques to make it 6-2, LC.
Another LC senior, Ron Anders, got the start for the Wildcats and worked five innings to get the win. Anders gave up four runs, all of which were aided by errors and/or wild pitches and passed balls as he scattered eight hits and two walks while striking out three. Freshman Trey Ducote, normally LC's game three pitcher, worked the final three and two-thirds innings to earn the save.
The Cowboys drew to within 7-5 in the sixth inning before LC broke it open with two runs in the sixth and three in the eighth. Leading the way was the freshman Martin who finished two-for-three with three runs scored, three stolen bases and one RBI.
LC's final two runs in the eighth came when a string of seniors: Van Norman, Mark Riendeau, Parsons, Liggins, Currier, Shea Ourso and Myers all got one final at-bat in their home ballpark.
Other seniors honored before the game Sunday were Cox, Anders, Brand Bignar, Darby Rollins and Lane Noakes, all of whom have made significant contributions to the LC baseball program over the past four years.