Box Score MNU scored 8 runs in the bottom of the first inning, but needed a late rally to beat #11 LSU-Shreveport 14-10 in a marathon game in Montgomery on Monday. In the top of the first, MNU's
Tino Luna worked out of a 2nd & 3rd 1-out jam with a strikeout and groundout, and his offense responded.
Clayton Brandt led off with an HBP, and
Trent Sullivan bunted him to 2nd. That would be the only out recorded until 8 runs scored.
Jordan Eckley,
Carlos Vargas, and
Joe Smith singled before
Seth Lieser walked to load the bases.
Santiago Romero drove home 2 with a single to put MNU up 4-0, and
Ricco Moreno followed with an HBP ahead of a
Colin Starr bases-loaded walk. Brandt cleared the bases with a single to center which was misplayed, and MNU led 8-0 after 1 inning.
The Pilots answered with a 2-run inside-the-park homer in the second, and then a 90-minute lightning delay changed the flow of the game.
Trent Hedlund came in to pitch after the delay, and LSU-S promptly loaded the bases with no outs. Hedlund struck out David Diaz looking for the first out, and a strange double play ended the threat. Kade Billeaudeaux struck out on a ball in the dirt, and the runner at 3rd mistakenly thought he had to advance on the dropped 3rd strike.
Colin Starr retrieved the ball and easily tagged the runner to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth,
Joe Smith led off with a solo bomb to left center, and
Colin Starr's 2-out RBI single put the Pioneers up 10-2. But LSU-S started their comeback in the top of the sixth. The Pilots scored 6 runs on 2 hits, a hit batsman, and 5 walks to get within 2 runs. In the top of the seventh, LSU-S tied the game at 10 with 2 runs on 3 hits, but MNU responded in the bottom of the inning. With 1 out, Brandt walked and moved to 3rd on a Sullivan single. Eckley doubled to give MNU an 11-10 lead, and
Carlos Vargas singled home 2 more to go up by 3.
Colin Starr's RBI single in the 8th put the Pioneers up by 4, and
Santiago Romero pitched the final 3.2 innings for the victory in relief. Romero moved to 8-0 on the season, and Brandt (1-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, HBP, SB), Sullivan (2-4, R, BB, Sac, SB), Eckley (2-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB), Vargas (2-5, R, 3 RBI), Smith (3-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), Romero (3-4, R, 2 RBI, HBP), and Starr (2-4, R, 3 RBI, BB) led the offense.
MNU is 37-13. They play defending champ #4-ranked 1-seed host Faulkner (47-14) on Tuesday at 3:00.
