7th-ranked Wolf Pack takes series opener at (RV) St. Thomas

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The No. 7 Loyola Wolf Pack made their third trip in the last four seasons to St. Thomas University (Fla.) for a weekend matchup with the Bobcats. The Pack trailed early but took the lead and held off STU for an 8-6 win in Game 1 of the four-game series. 
 

The Wolf Pack (12-2) and the Bobcats will meet back up at Paul Demie Mainieri Field on Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. CST. 
 

The Wolf Pack's bats had to outlast the St. Thomas starting pitcher, who struck out 11 and kept Loyola off the board for the first four innings. He did, however, walk five Loyola batters, and four of those came in a three-run fifth inning. 
 

Trailing 4-0, Reed Duthu, Drew Lee, and Jaxon Buratt all walked to start the fifth. Nathan McDonald was hit by a pitch to score Loyola's first run, then a wild pitch during the next at-bat made it a 4-2 ballgame. A fielder's choice off the bat of Jordan McKenzie got the Pack within one, 4-3. 
 

Loyola only had two hits leading up to the fifth inning, and both were from Ayden Authement. The Bobcats had eight hits during that same time. 
 

Jed Cambre started the sixth inning with a walk as well, and he stole second and advanced to third on a groundout by Duthu. Lee brought home the tying run, 4-4, with a single to right field. 
 

The Wolf Pack opened up the game with a four-run seventh inning. JJ Garcia was hit by a pitch to start the frame, then McDonald walked to quickly put two on base. Jovan Swasey and Authement both singled in runs, 6-4, and a wild pitch scored Ben Harris, 7-4, who was pinch running for McKenzie. Authement eventually came around to score when he stole third and scored on an error by the St. Thomas catcher, 8-4. 
 

Brady Bowen earned the win with a solid three-inning performance in relief. He allowed one earned run on three hits before giving way to Cole Bordes, who got the final out with two base runners on in the fifth. Bordes got a fielder's choice to end the frame, then pitched around a bases-loaded jam in the sixth to set up Loyola's big inning at the plate in the seventh. Bordes did allow a couple of runs in the seventh, 8-6, but Frank Fernandez took over and got the last two outs. Jake Cohen earned the two-inning save with a base-loaded game-sealing strikeout. He allowed two hits and struck out two. 
 

Pack Facts

• Jake Cohen struck out two and allowed no runs over the final two innings to earn his third save of the season in just four pitching appearances. 

• Cole Bordes became the second Wolf Pack pitcher to secure two wins this season. He and Michael Hotard are both 2-0.

• Ayden Authement's red-hot bat traveled to Miami, as the redshirt sophomore went 3-for-4 at the plate with a run, walk, and an RBI. Authement leads the team with a .529 batting average and his 18 hits are the second-most on the Pack. 

• Authement and Jed Cambre, the team's leaders in stolen bases this season, each stole one base in Friday's game. Cambre now has 11 swiped bags on the season while Authement has nine. 

• Loyola's eight runs were scored by eight different players: Authement, Cambre, JJ Garcia, Jovan Swasey, Jordan McKenzie, Authement, Cambre, Reed Duthu, Kash Koontz, and Jaxon Buratt. 

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