Jackson, Miss. – The Centenary baseball team posted season highs in both runs and hits on Saturday afternoon as the Diamond Gents defeated the MUW Owls 15-4 in eight innings on day two of the Millsaps Baseball Classic at Smith-Wills Stadium.
The Diamond Gents (3-3) shook off a 4-3 loss to the Huntingdon College Hawks on Friday afternoon in the opening game of the event and took out their frustrations on the Owls (0-2). Centenary had 11 hits in Friday's game versus the Hawks which was its previous high for the young season. Centenary set or tied season highs in RBI (11), at-bats (42) doubles (3), and stolen bases (2) along with new highs in both runs and hits.
Centenary, currently receiving votes (7) in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA preseason poll, is part of an impressive field this weekend that features four teams (Centenary, LaGrange College, Rhodes, and Millikin) currently receiving votes in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA poll. Host Millsaps, Berry, Huntingdon, and MUW fill out the field.
The Diamond Gents broke open a 1-1 game with two runs in the top of the fourth, three in the fifth, and four in the seventh. Centenary then put the finishing touches on the blowout with five in the top of the eighth. The Owls scored one run in the bottom of the first, two in the fifth and a single run in the bottom of the eighth.
Senior 1B Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) and senior DH Tyler Welch (Lake Charles, La.) each had three hits to pace the Diamond Gents' offense. Senior SS Brady Robinson (Jacksonville, Texas) and senior 2B Tyler Erickson (Houston, Texas) each had two hits and four other Gents had one hit apiece. Ludwick finished 3-5 with two RBI and a run scored, Welch was 3-5 with an RBI and a game-high four runs scored, and Robinson was 2-4 with two RBI, a walk, and three runs scored. Erickson finished 2-5 with 3 RBI and a run scored.
Senior 3B Ben Bridges (Beckville, Texas) went 1-3 with a pair of walks and scored a run and freshman RF Cade LaBruyere (Iowa, La.) was 1-2 with two RBI and scored two runs. Senior LF John Beaudion (Houston, Texas) was 1-5 and scored a pair of runs. Welch, LaBruyere, and Erickson each had doubles and Robinson tripled. Robinson and Beaudion each stole a base and the Diamond Gents drew three walks on the day, had a sacrifice fly, and only struck out four times.
Junior LHP Collier Cloinger (Bossier City, La.) started on the mound for Centenary and pitched an inning. He allowed one earned run on two hits with a walk and two strikeouts. He faced seven batters and threw 26 pitches with 14 for strikes and hit a batter. Senior Luke Royle (Dodge City, Kan.) relieved Cloinger and picked up his first win of the season as he pitched five solid innings and allowed just two runs (one earned) on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Royle faced 23 batters and threw 82 pitches with 59 strikes and also hit one batter. Junior RHP Peyton Thibodeaux (Lake Arthur, La.) was Centenary's third and final pitcher of the game as he pitched the seventh and eighth innings and allowed just one unearned run on one hit with a strikeout, throwing 26 pitches (18) strikes and hit one of his nine batters faced.
Avery Anderson started for the Owls and took the loss to fall to 0-1 on the season as he went five inning and allowed six runs, three earned, and five hits with a walk and a strikeout. He faced 24 batters and threw 81 pitches, 55 for strikes. Ryan Smith and Tanner Evans followed Anderson and combined to pitch three innings and allowed nine runs, eight earned, on nine hits. Smith walked one and recorded one strikeout and Evans also walked one and struck out a pair. RF Blake Estabrook led the Owls with two hits and five of his teammates each collected one hit. Austin Telano went 0-2 but walked twice, had one RBI and scored a run. MUW struck out seven times and committed eight errors leading to four unearned runs.
The Owls took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by 1B Payton Springfield to score Telano but the Diamond Gents tied it in the second, scoring an unearned run and then scored a pair in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Ludwick scored on a wild pitch and sophomore C Austyn Benoit (Welsh, La.) drove Welch home on a sac fly. Centenary then put three runs on the board in the fifth on an RBI triple by Robinson to score Beaudion and a pair of unearned runs on Owls errors.
MUW scored two in the bottom half of the fifth to make it 6-3 but Centenary responded immediately with four more the next half inning to widen the lead to 10-3. Erickson ripped an RBI double to right center to score LaBruyere, Robinson delivered a run-scoring single, and Ludwick capped the scoring with a two-RBI single. Welch had an RBI single in the eighth followed by a two-RBI double by LaBruyere and an RBI single by Erickson.
The Diamond Gents will face the LaGrange College Panthers (2-0) on Sunday at Noon in their final game of the weekend at Smith-Wills Stadium.
Millsaps Baseball Classic Tournament Central: https://gomajors.com/news/2022/2/9/majors-ready-to-host-eight-team-millsaps-baseball-classic.aspx
See the complete Diamond Gents' season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/schedule
Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests but be advised of current COVID-19 protocols for fans. Updated COVID-19 information is now available via www.GoCentenary.com.
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