La Verne, Calif. – The Centenary baseball team staged a late rally on Sunday afternoon against the University of La Verne Leopards but fell 9-7 in a non-conference contest at Ben Hines Field.
The Diamond Gents (6-6) and La Verne (4-1-1) scored a combined eight runs in the first inning after Centenary took a 3-0 lead after its first at-bat but then the Leopards responded with five of their own in the bottom half and added three more in the second.
The Diamond Gents, which began their seven-game game west coast road trip with a 12-5 setback to the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags on Saturday, were down 9-3 after four innings on Sunday but held the Leopards scoreless the next three frames and scored four in the top of the eighth to narrow their deficit but could not get any closer than the 9-7 final margin.
Centenary, currently receiving votes (7) in the latest D3baseball.com/NCBWA poll, will play the Stags again on Monday at 2:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. CT).
The Diamond Gents pounded out 13 hits on Sunday and had three extra-base hits. Centenary has now collected 10 or more hits in a game an impressive seven times this season. Four Centenary players recorded multi-hit performances on Sunday led by a game-high four hits from senior 1B Ben Bridges (Beckville, Texas). Senior LF Tyler Welch (Lake Charles, La.), senior RHP Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas), and senior C Tyler Erickson (Houston, Texas) each had two hits.
Bridges went 4-4 with three RBI as he had a two-run double in the first and an RBI single in the eighth and later scored a run. Bridges tied his career-high of four hits previously accomplished last season at home versus ETBU. Welch finished 2-4 with an RBI single, a double, two runs scored, and a walk. Ludwick was 2-5 and scored a run and Erickson went 2-4 with an RBI single in the first, two runs scored, and a walk.
Ludwick started on the mound for Centenary and uncharacteristically struggled, allowing eight runs, all earned, and nine hits in just 1.2 innings to fall to 1-1 on the season. He walked one, struck out one, threw 55 pitches (31 strikes) and faced 17 batters, hitting two. Senior RHP Luke Royle (Dodge City, Kan.) relieved him and went 2.1 innings and allowed an unearned run and one hit with a walk and a strikeout. He was sharp as he threw 28 pitches, 20 for strikes, and faced 10 batters.
Freshman RHP Tyler Herrera (Spring, Texas) pitched the final four innings in his longest outing of the season and was on point as he struck out three, walked one, and allowed just one hit. He threw 49 pitches, 32 for strikes, and faced 14 batters as he kept the Leopards off the scoreboard. Herrera, who pitched three innings in Centenary's 6-2 win over Willamette on Feb. 6 to get his first win, has been extremely impressive this season as he has yet to allow a run in seven innings with just two hits and nine strikeouts.
La Verne starter Sean Holt (3-0) picked up the win as he pitched five innings and allowed just three unearned runs and four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. He gave way to Bennett Vogel who pitched a pair of solid innings with a pair of strikeouts and allowed just two hits. Nick Zolferino, the third pitcher for the Leopards, was roughed up as he recorded just a single out in the eighth inning and was charged with four runs, three earned, and five hits with no walks and no strikeouts in 1/3 of an inning of work. Gerald Terry came in and picked up his second save this season as he pitched the final 1.2 and allowed just two hits and struck out one.
Below is Centenary's remaining schedule for its California trip:
Monday, Feb. 28: vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps - 2:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. CT)
Wednesday, March 2: vs. La Verne - 2:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. CT)
Saturday, March 5: vs. Occidental (DH) - 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. (1 & 4:30 p.m. CT)
Sunday, March 6: vs. Occidental - 10 a.m. (NOON CT)
See the complete Diamond Gents' season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/schedule
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