Shreveport – The Centenary baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader with the Louisiana College Wildcats on Saturday at Shehee Stadium, taking game one 3-1 in seven innings and falling 11-7 in a nine-inning game two.
The Gents (4-1) took game one behind another superb pitching performance from senior right-hander Matthew Devillier (Lake Charles, La.) as he tossed a complete-game, his second in a row this season, and allowed just one run on five hits while walking two and striking out five. Devillier, the reigning Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week, went the distance in the Gents' 7-0 win over ETBU at home on Feb. 8, allowing just one hit in seven innings with two walks and four strikeouts. He improved to 2-0 on the season and has allowed just one run in 14 innings of work this season.
Senior right fielder Cody Crowder (Shepherd, Texas) and first baseman Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) combined for five of Centenary's eight hits in the game one victory as Crowder notched a single and a double and scored one run. Crowder was named the SCAC Hitter of the Week on Monday after leading the Gents to three wins last weekend as he batted .400 (4-10) with three home runs, six RBI, six runs scored, and three walks. He hit two home runs in the 12-5 victory over the ETBU in game two of a doubleheader on Feb. 8 and Crowder also homered in Friday's season opener against ETBU on the road.
Ludwick had three singles and a run scored. Brooks Southall (0-1) took the loss on the mound for the Wildcats (3-2) as he allowed seven hits and two runs, one earned, in 4.2 innings pitched with no walks and three strikeouts.
The Gents jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by redshirt freshman Ben Bridges (Beckville, Texas) scoring Crowder. Ludwick scored on a wild pitch in the third inning to make it 2-0 and after Louisiana College cut the Gents' lead to 2-1 with a run in the fourth, sophomore Gary Hewitt (Cedar Park, Texas) gave Centenary a 3-1 lead with a sacrifice fly to score junior Chris Haggard (Lake Charles, La.) with the game's final run.
Game two featured much more offense from both teams, as the Wildcats and Gents combined for 18 runs and 19 hits and 10 pitchers were used, seven by Centenary. The game was tied at 3-3 through four innings before Louisiana College took a 6-3 lead with three runs in the top of the seventh. The Gents however responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it a 6-5 game heading to the ninth inning. The Wildcats then posted a five-run ninth to extend their lead to 11-5 before Centenary added two runs in the ninth for the final margin of 11-7.
Crowder had two hits, two RBI, a walk and a run scored while junior Tyler Welch (Pineville, La.) had a hit and drove in two. Junior Connor Lee (Sugar Land, Texas) started on the mound for the Gents and allowed three runs, two earned, and six hits in 3.2 innings of work. He did not walk a batter and struck out two. Ludwick (0-1) took the loss in relief as he allowed three runs, all earned, and two hits in two innings.
Andrew Robinson (1-0) relived starter Dylan Coburn and got the win for the Wildcats as he pitched 4.2 innings and allowed one unearned run and three hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Alex Ashby led the Wildcats on offense with a 3-5 effort which included a home run and four RBI and two runs scored
The Gents will hit the road for the next nine games which includes another meeting with Louisiana College on March 9 in Pineville, a makeup of last Friday's postponement. Centenary will face Edgewood twice and Eureka next weekend in Jackson, Miss.
A link to the complete 2020 schedule can be found here: www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2019-20/schedule
Live stats and live video are available for all home games and admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic events. #GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity
