Pineville, La. – The Centenary baseball team fell 12-2 in seven innings to the Louisiana Christian University Wildcats on Wednesday in a non-conference contest at Billy Allgood Field.
The Diamond Gents (12-7) return to Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play this weekend for a three-game series against Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. The Wildcats (23-7) won their sixth-straight game following Wednesday's victory. Centenary is off to a 4-2 start in conference play after a pair of series wins at home over Texas Lutheran and the University of Dallas.
Senior RHP Peyton Thibodeaux (Lake Arthur, La.) started and took the loss on the mound for Centenary as he went three innings and allowed three runs, all earned, on sox hits. Thibodeaux (1-1) faced 17 batters, walking one and struck out two, and threw 57 pitches (36 strikes).
Freshman IF/P Cowan Alfonso (Zachary, La.) relieved Thibodeaux and went an inning as he allowed seven runs, six earned, on six hits with two walks and one strikeout. He faced 13 batters and threw 48 pitches (25 strikes).
Senior RHP Hank Bennett (Richmond, Texas) pitched two innings and did not allow a run or a hit with a walk and a strikeout. He faced five batters and threw 24 pitches (12 strikes). Senior RHP Jacob Lievre (Katy, Texas) went 1/3 of an inning, throwing 12 pitches (seven strikes) and allowed two earned runs on a pair of hits. He faced four batters, hitting one.
Chase Gardner (2-0) started for LCU and got the win. He only went two innings, but since the Wildcats had arranged prior to the game to use at least three pitchers for a previously-determined number of innings he was allowed to receive credit for the win. He allowed two unearned runs on three hits with a pair of walks and three K's. He faced 11 batters and threw 38 pitches (23 strikes). Five Wildcats relievers pitched the final five innings and combined to hold the Diamond Gents hitless and scoreless with a walk and two K's.
The Wildcats finished with 14 hits, drew four walks, struck out four times, and left seven on base. Centenary was held to just three hits, all coming in the first two innings, along with three walks. Centenary struck out five times and left four on base. The Wildcats committed three errors and the Diamond Gents committed two.
Freshman C Trevor Price (Dallas, Texas) reached on an infield single with one out in the second which scored senior Logan Thielepape (Hewitt, Texas) for a 1-0 Centenary lead and freshman CF Andrew Landry (Gonzalez, La.) drew a bases-loaded walk to score Centenary's second and final run.
LCU responded with three runs in the bottom half of the second, added one in the fourth, six runs in the fifth and two more in the bottom of the seventh.
LF Nick Lorio went 5-5 with four RBI and two runs scored to pace the Wildcats' offense and CF Drake Angeron and 3B Ju'Juan Franklin combined to go 4-7 with four RBI and four runs scored. Lorio had a double and a triple and he and Angeron each stole a base.
The opener between Centenary and Trinity (13-9, 4-2 SCAC) begins at 6 p.m. on Friday with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 and 4 p.m.
The Diamond Gents and Tigers will meet for the first time since No. 3 seed Centenary defeated No. 1 seed Trinity by a score of 10-5 to win the 2022 SCAC Championship last May in Cleburne, Texas.
See the complete Gents' season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/schedule
Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests. 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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