Shreveport – The Centenary baseball team earned a doubleheader split with the Alma College Scots on Sunday in non-conference play, falling 7-5 in the first game and rebounding with a 14-2 victory in seven innings in the second game at Shehee Stadium.
Centenary, currently receiving votes (7) in the latest D3baseball.com/NCBWA poll, improved to 23-6 on its last 29 home games dating back to the beginning of last season. The Diamond Gents are 3-3 on their home field this season after going 2-2 in the Gents Classic to open the season earlier this month.
Game 1 Recap: Alma 7 Centenary 5
The Scots jumped ahead quickly as SS Kevin Tuttle walked to start the game and CF Joshua Robinson homered for a 2-0 lead. Robinson then delivered an RBI single in the second for a 3-0 lead and scored two more in the third to extend the lead to 5-0.
The Diamond Gents got on the board in the bottom of the third as senior 2B Tyler Erickson (Houston, Texas) grounded out to score senior SS Brady Robinson (Jacksonville, Texas) who had tripled to begin the inning. Neither team scored over the next four innings as the Scots took their 5-1 lead to the eighth inning.
Alma added a single run in the eighth to lead 6-1 but the Diamond Gents would not go quietly as they scored four times in the bottom of the eighth to cut the Scots' lead to 6-5.
Erickson doubled to lead off the inning and senior 1B Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) followed with a double of his own to score Erickson. Freshman RF Cade LaBruyere (Iowa, La.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring home a run and sophomore Colt Hamilton (West Monroe, La.) pinch hit for senior CF Gary Hewitt (Cedar Park, Texas) and delivered a two-RBI single to cut the deficit 6-5.
Robinson continued to be a thorn in Centenary's side as he homered with two outs in the top of the ninth to make it a 7-5 game. Centenary had two on with two out in the bottom of the ninth but senior 3B Ben Bridges (Beckville, Texas) was retired on a groundout to end the game.
Centenary finished with five runs on even hits and committed two errors. Alma had seen runs on 13 hits and one error. The Scots left 14 men on base while the Diamond Gents left 10 on. Alma batters drew six walks and struck out nine times while Centenary drew six walks and only went down on strikes five times.
Junior RHP Christian Diaz (Houston, Texas) started for the Diamond Gents and went three innings, allowing five runs, four earned, and five hits with four walks and no strikeouts. He threw 73 pitches (41 strikes) and faced 20 batters. He hit two batters and threw a wild pitch and took the loss to fall to 0-2 on the season. Tyler Johnson (1-0) started for the Scots and got the win as he went six innings and allowed one earned run and three hits with two walks and two K's. He threw 101 pitches, 66 for strikes, and faced 24 batters.
Game 2 Recap: Centenary 14 Alma 2 (7 innings)
The Diamond Gents broke an early 2-2 tie with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth and then exploded for seven in the fifth followed by three more in the seventh to record the blowout win.
Centenary nearly matched its season high in runs (15) which it set last Saturday in a 15-4 win over MUW in the Millsaps Baseball Classic in Jackson, Miss. The Diamond Gents collected double-digit hits for the fourth time this season, had a season-high 13 RBI, and hit their first two home runs of the season.
Three Centenary players finished with multi-hit games led by junior 2B Cole Collins (Shreveport, La.) who finished 3-3 with three RBI, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Collins homered and had a pair of doubles. Freshman OF Cade LaBruyere (Iowa, La.) finished 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored and senior C Tyler Erickson (Houston, Texas) was 2-3 with three runs scored and an RBI. Senior SS Brady Robinson (Jacksonville, Texas) was 1-4 with an RBI and two runs scored and senior Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) was 1-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
Ludwick started and got the win as he went five innings and allowed just two runs, both earned, on two hits with five walks and three strikeouts. Ludwick hit three batters and allowed a home run, but held the Scots down before handing the ball to junior RHP Hank Bennett (Richmond, Texas) who went the final two innings and struck out a pair. Ludwick threw 88 pitches, 48 for strikes, and faced 25 batters. Bennett threw 27 pitches, 17 strikes, and faced six batters. Centenary allowed a season-low two hits.
Jacob Wanous (0-1) started and took the loss for the Scots as he lasted just 4.2 innings and was hit hard, allowing nine runs (four earned) and seven hits. He walked one, struck out one, allowed Collins' homer. Three Scots pitchers followed and combined to allow five runs (one earned) and four hits.
The Diamond Gents (4-4) and Scots (1-1) will play another DH on Monday with games scheduled for 3 and 6 p.m. Live stats and live video are available for both games at the links below:
Stats: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/boxscores/20220221_p1k6.xml
Video: https://collegetvticket.com/event/centenary-college-vs-alma-college-3/
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.
Live stats and live video stream are available for all Centenary home contests. Please note that all dates and times are subject to change.
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