Shreveport – The Centenary baseball team recorded consecutive run-rule blowouts over the Alma College Scots on Monday, 13-3 and 12-2, both in seven innings to sweep a non-conference doubleheader at Shehee Stadium.
The Diamond Gents (6-4) took three of four games in the series and improved to 5-3 at home, and extending their winning streak to three. Alma fell to 1-3 on the season after winning the first game of the series on Sunday, 7-5, and then dropped three in a row.
Centenary tied its season high with 14 hits and stole a season-best seven bases in each game and added seven doubles and a triple in game one and four extra-base hits in game two. The Maroon and White picked up another 10 hits in game two and finished the day with an impressive 25 runs on 21 hits and totaled 44 runs and 42 hits in the series. The seven stolen bases are tied for the seventh-highest single-game total in the division III era (2012-present). Centenary most recently stole seven bases in a game twice last season.
The Diamond Gents, currently receiving votes (7) in the latest D3baseball.com/NCBWA poll, improved to 25-6 in their last 31 home games dating back to the beginning of last season. Centenary scored double-digit runs for the third-straight game and fourth time this season after the Maroon and White scored 10+ runs in a game a staggering 17 times last season. The Maroon and White averaged over eight runs per game last season.
Centenary's 44 runs in the series are the most scored in a series since also scoring 44 March 19-20 of last season at Austin College (three game series). The Diamond Gents are averaging 7.2 runs per game through the first 10 games this season and are averaging 11.8 runs per game over the last five games.
Game one recap: Centenary 13 Alma 3 (7 innings)
Centenary took an early 3-0 lead after two innings and then exploded for eight runs in the third to open up a commanding 11-0 lead. The Scots scored a pair in the top of the fifth and added one in the seventh but Centenary scored a pair in the bottom half of the seventh to secure the 10-run win.
The Diamond Gents pounded out a season-high tying 14 hits while the Scots only mustered six, committed three errors, and Alma pitching issued six walks to Centenary and the Diamond Gents collected a season-high eight extra-base hits. Four Centenary players recorded multi-hit performances, led by a season-high four from freshman OF Cade LaBruyere (Iowa, La.) who finished 4-5 with three RBI and three runs scored from the leadoff spot.
LaBruyere posted his second multi-hit game of the season and also stole three bases to go with a double and a triple. Senior SS Brady Robinson (Jacksonville, Texas) finished 2-5 with an RBI, two runs scored, a double, and a stolen base. Senior 1B Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) went 2-3 with an RBI, a run scored, a double, and a stolen base.
Senior CF Gary Hewitt (Cedar Park, Texas) was 2-2 with an RBI single which secured the run-rule in the bottom of the seventh, plating Robinson with the final run. Senior C Tyler Erickson (Houston, Texas) went 1-3 with an RBI double and scored a run, senior OF John Beaudion (Houston, Texas) was 1-3 with an RBI double, a walk, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Freshman 3B Blaine Miller (Lewisville, Texas) was 1-4 with a two-run double and scored a run, and junior 2B Cole Collins (Shreveport, La.) continued his impressive series as he finished with two walks, two runs scored, and a stolen base.
Senior Luke Royle (Dodge City, Kan.) made his first start of the season for Centenary and was impressive as he pitched his first-career complete game, going all seven innings and allowed just three runs, all earned, on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts. He threw just 77 pitches, 51 for strikes, and faced 28 batters.
Alma starter Tyler Kapa (0-1) started and took the loss as he was roughed up for nine runs, eight earned, and six hits in 2.1 innings. He walked four and struck out a pair. He threw 74 pitches (40 strikes) and faced 18 batters. Five Scots followed him on the mound and pitched well, combining to allow just four runs (one earned) and eight hits over four innings with two walks and a strikeout.
1B Avery Carnicom led the Scots with two hits while C/3B Padyn Kesselring finished 1-2 with a two-RBI single. The Scots had three extra-base hits but only drew two walks and left four on base and could not muster much against a very sharp Royle. Ludwick delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 Centenary lead and an RBI triple by LaBruyere in the second drove in a pair. Erickson, Beaudion, Miller, and LaBruyere all drove in runs in the third.
The Diamond Gents also scored a run on a wild pitch and scored an unearned run on an error in the inning. Kesselring drove home a pair with two outs in the fifth and C Stephen McGlade followed with an RBI single. Robinson's RBI double and Hewitt's game-ending hit finished off the Scots as the Diamond Gents won their second in a row.
Game two recap: Centenary 12 Alma 2 (7 innings)
Junior RHP Parker Primeaux (Lake Charles, La.) made his first-career start on the mound for the Diamond Gents, and after allowing a pair of runs in the first inning, it was game over.
Primeaux proceeded to pitch a career-high seven innings and strike out a career-best 11 batters in his seven innings of work, as Centenary tossed a pair of complete games on Monday. Primeaux retired the first two hitters he faced but then gave up three-consecutive hits as the Scots took a 2-0 lead.
Centenary backed him up immediately, though, scoring four times in the bottom of the first followed by seven more runs over the next three innings for an 11-2 lead. Hewitt ripped an RBI triple to score Collins in the bottom of the sixth for the 12th and final Centenary run.
Primeaux struck out the side easily in the second, then struck out a pair in both the third and fourth innings. He retired the first two batters of the fifth himself on grounders to the mound and nearly got the final out as well but the ball chopped just too high over his head to Robinson at SS for an easy play. Primeaux allowed back-to-back hits in the sixth but retired the final two batters of the inning, one on a strikeout, to end the threat. He retired 14 in a row from the second inning until CF Joshua Robinson doubled with one out in the sixth.
Collins continued his torrid hitting by going 3-3 with two home runs, including an inside the park HR, a double, five RBI, three runs scored, a walk, and a stolen base in one of the most impressive offensive performances by a Centenary player in recent memory.
He launched a towering leadoff solo home run to left-center in the third after a two- RBI double in his first at-bat in the first inning. He walked and scored in the sixth. With two outs in the fourth inning and just one inning after his first home run, Collins stepped to the plate with two outs and senior C/ Ben Bridges (Beckville, Texas) standing on first after being hit by a pitch. Collins then ripped a 1-0 pitch into the right-centerfield gap that slammed off the wall and fell between Robinson and RF Scott Crawford. Inexplicably, neither player picked the ball up and once Robinson did, he seemed surprised to see Collins racing toward third base. Centenary head coach Mike Diaz waived Collins home and he slid in safe as finally a throw arrived but came late and was wildly high. Collins finished the series a scorching .428 (6-8) with three home runs, three doubles, eight RBI, eight runs scored, three walks, and three stolen bases.
Senior LF Tyler Welch (Lake Charles, La.) went 2-3 with two RBI, three runs scored, a walk, and three stolen bases. Welch swiped three after LaBruyere did so in game one. Bridges and Hewitt also stole bases in the game as the Diamond Gents finished with 14 for the day without being caught. Hewitt finished 2-2 with an RBI triple and a run scored, and Ludwick, Erickson, and Miller combined to go 3-10 with two RBI and a walk. Bridges also walked, stole a base, and scored two runs.
Alma starter Trevor Wregglesworth (0-1) lasted just 2.1 innings and was touched for eight runs, five earned, on seven hits with three walks, one strikeout, hit one batter, and allowed Collins' first homer. Three Scots pitched in relief and combined to allow four runs, three earned, on three hits with three walks, a pair of HBP, and a strikeout. The Scots managed just the five hits and committed two errors, left three on base while not drawing a walk, and striking out 11 times.
Centenary now hits the road for seven games in California from Feb. 26-March 6 as the Diamond Gents will face Claremont-Mudd-Scripps twice, La Verne twice, and Occidental in a three-game series.
See the complete Diamond Gents' season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/schedule
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