The Centenary baseball team crushed the LeTourneau YellowJackets by a combined score of 23-1 in a non-conference doubleheader on Friday at Shehee Stadium to remain undefeated at home this season.
The Gents (11-2) improved to 7-0 at home this season and are now 10-1 in their last 11 home games dating back to last season. The Maroon and White have won 20 of their last 26 games overall going back to the start of last season. Centenary, which has scored 10 or more runs in a game six times this season, has outscored its opponents at home 57-13 through seven games so far this season. Centenary has now won five games in a row after completing a three-game sweep in non-conference play over the Dubuque University Spartans last weekend. Centenary is off to it best start in the division III era (2012-present) and is one game ahead of the pace of the superb 2017 team which began 10-3 en route to a 35-10 overall record, a SCAC Tournament Championship, an an NCAA Tournament appearance. Centenary is receiving votes in the current 2021 D3baseball.com/NCBWA Week 3 poll: https://www.d3baseball.com/top25/2021/2021Top25-week-3.
Game 1 Recap:
The Gents scored eight runs through the first four innings to take a commanding lead and cruise to the lopsided win. Centenary recorded its second victory of the season by 10 runs after beating Edgewood 15-5 back on Feb. 21. The Maroon and White collected 13 hits as four Gents had multi-hit performances.
Senior left-hander Connor Lee (Sugarland, Texas) picked up the win for the Gents to improve to 3-1 on the season as he allowed just one unearned run in five innings of work, scattering five hits, with no walks and two strikeouts. Sophomore pitcher Jacob Lievre (Katy, Texas) made his Gents debut in relief of Lee as he pitched the sixth inning and walked two and struck out two without allowing a run or a hit. Senior Austin Warner (Highland, Calif.) followed him and made his season debut, pitching an inning and allowing a hit and striking out a batter.
Raul Martinez started and took the loss for the YellowJackets to fall to 1-1 on the season. He allowed seven runs, all earned, on eight hits in 3.1 innings with three walks and a strikeout. Three relievers followed and combined to allow for runs, two earned, and five hits in 2.2 IP with two walks and two strikeouts.
Junior center fielder Gary Hewitt (Cedar Park, Texas) and junior shortstop Brady Robinson (Jacksonville, Texas) each went 2-4 with two RBI and combined to score three runs. Senior left fielder Luke Royle (Dodge City, Kan.) went 2-3 with an RBI, two runs scored, and a walk. Senior third baseman Chris Haggard (Lake Charles, La.) went 1-2 with a home run, his second of the season, and two runs scored and a walk. Senior DH Tyler Welch (Alexandria, La.) was 2-3 with a run scored and junior Ben Bridges (Beckville, Texas) was 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Game 2 Recap:
The Gents' offense was hot from the start for the second game in a row, scoring two runs in each the first and third innings and then posting consecutive four-spots in the fourth and fifth to finish off the doublehader sweep with a run-rule victory in seven inngs as the Centenary pitching staff held LeTourneau to just one hit.
Hewitt and Erickson led the way on offense with three hits apiece, Bridges had three RBI, and Ludwick and Haggard each drove in a pair of runs. Bridges hit his second hom run of the season as the Gents went deep in both games. Hewitt and Ludwick each had doubles and Erickson had two. Senior right fielder Cody Crowder (Shepherd, Texas)went 1-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Senior Conner Poche (Lutcher, La.)pickd up the win as he made his third start of the season to improve to 2-0. He did not allow a run or a hit in his five innings of work with a walk and two K's. Senior Brock Yates (Bellaire, Texas) came on in releif of Poche and pitched an inning and allowed one hit with a walk and no runs. Senior Cullen Sharkey (Shreveport) closed out the game in his first appearance of the season, pitching a clean inning.
LeTourneau starter Jared Schurig took the loss to fall to 1-1 on the season as he was roughed up for eight runs, seven earned, and 10 hits in just 3.2 innings pitched. He walked one and struck out a batter. Three YellowJacket relievers followed him and allowed four unearned runs and four hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts in 2.1 innings.
Centenary will face LeTourneau again on Saturday in Longview, Texas for a doubleheader with games scheduled for 1 and 3:30 p.m. at Conrad-Vernon Field.Live stats and live video will be available for the games at the links below:
Stats: https://letuathletics.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
Video: https://letuathletics.com/watch/?Live=372&type=Live
The Gents will then open SCAC play next weekend at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. The three-game series will begin on Friday, March 19 at 7 p.m. with a doubleheader on Saturday the 20th at 1 and 4 p.m.
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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