Shreveport- The Centenary baseball team opened its five-game homestand with a 13-6 victory over the Dubuque University Spartans on Thursday evening at Shehee Stadium.
The teams will play again on Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at Noon. Live stats and live video will be available for both remaining games at the links below:
Live stats: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/boxscores/20210305_bi85.xml
Live video: https://www.collegetvticket.com/portal/centenary
The Gents (7-2) won for the third time in four games after taking two of three from the Huntingdon College Hawks on the road last weekend. The Spartans fell to 0-1 as they began their season on Thursday. Centenary also improved to 3-0 at home.
Centenary wasted no time in getting things going on offense as the Maroon and White scored five runs on four hits in their first at-bat, after Gents starting pitcher Connor Lee (Sugarland, Texas) retired the Spartans on three consecutive groundouts to second base in the top of the first. The senior lefty improved to 2-1 on the season as he went seven innings and allowed five runs, all earned, on seven hits. He walked one and struck out two.
Dubuque starter Shaun Logan (0-1) suffered the loss as she allowed seven runs, all earned, on six hits in five innings of work. He walked three, struck out one, and threw a pair of wild pitches. Four Spartans hurlers followed him and combined to allow six earned runs and six hits with three walks and no strikeouts.
Five Gents each collected two hits apiece as Centenary hammered out 12 hits total, marking the seventh time this season in their nine games that the Maroon and White have collected double-digit hits in a game. The Spartans had 11 hits and made one error while the Gents played an error-free game. Three Dubuque players had two hits each.
Senior second baseman Tyler Erickson (Houston, Texas) went 2-5 with a season-high four RBI and a run scored. Senior first baseman Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) was 2-5 with two RBI and two runs scored, and junior center fielder Gary Hewitt (Cedar Park, Texas) went 2-3 with two RBI and two runs scored from the leadoff position.
Senior right fielder Cody Crowder (Shepherd, Texas) had a solid night as he went 1-3 with three runs scored and a walk. Senior DH Tyler Welch (Alexandria, La.) was 2-3 with an RBI, two runs scored, and a pair of walks. Junior catcher Ben Bridges (Beckville, Texas) went 2-5 with two RBI and a run scored.
Senior Connor Cudd (Lake Charles, La.) came on in relief of Lee in the eighth and faced two batters and was replaced by sophomore Parker Primeaux (Lake Charles, La.) who finished the inning, allowing just a hit and recorded a strikeout. Senior Joshua Gatewood (League City, Texas) pitched the ninth and allowed a pair of hits and got a strikeout to end the game.
Ludwick, Erickson, and Welch delivered consecutive RBI singles in the bottom of the first and then a pair of run-scoring groundouts plated the Gents' fourth and fifth runs. Centenary added a run in the bottom of the third as Ludwick singled to right to begin the inning and then stole second. He moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Erickson.
The Spartans scored a pair in the top of the fifth as third baseman Zach McCoy ripped an RBI double and a sacrifice scored the other run. The Gents would answer right back though as they scored a run in the bottom half of the fifth on a Ludwick RBI groundout that scored Crowder who had walked to lead off the inning and stole two bases.
A seemingly comfortable 7-2 Centenary lead entering the eighth inning quickly became in doubt as the Spartans plated four runs and had the potential tying and go-ahead runs at second and third with one out but some nifty defensive work and clutch relief pitching allowed the Gents to hold onto the lead.
The Spartans scored three runs against Lee and Cudd and then Primeaux came on with two on and none out looking to preserve the Centenary lead. He got DH Hunter Martindale to ground out moving runners to second and third. Centenary got the second out as third baseman Chris Haggard (Lake Charles, La.) tagged second baseman Mitch Pomeroy trying to dive back safely to third base on a stellar defensive play. McCoy singled up the middle to score a run to make it 7-6 but then Primeaux struck out left fielder Jake Cekander with two on to end the threat and maintain the Gents' slim lead. Centenary then exploded for six runs on four hits in the bottom of the eighth to extend its lead to the final margin of 13-6.
Live stats and live video are available for all home contests.
A link to the Gents' complete 2021 schedule can be found here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/schedule
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