No. 18 Loyola opens series with a win over Mobile Friday

WESTWEGO – It was a pitchers' duel for seven and a half innings on Friday in Loyola's series opener with the Mobile Rams, but the 18th-ranked Wolf Pack pushed seven runs across in the eighth inning to take Game 1, 8-3. Loyola (21-9, 6-4 in SSAC) and Mobile (11-17, 5-5) will play two games on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. to finish the three-game set.
 

Brady Bowen did not get the win, however, he pitched well enough to put Loyola in position for the win. The Loyola starter threw the first seven innings with six strikeouts, giving up two earned runs on five hits. 
 

Loyola got its first hit in the third, and that resulted in the game's first run as well. John Lewis got on base with a single to left, then a double by Nathan McDonald later in the frame brought Lewis home, 1-0. The Rams got their first hit in the fourth inning, but they used a two-run home run in the fifth to jump ahead 2-1. 
 

After only recording four hits on the Mobile starter, who pitched seven strong innings, the Wolf Pack got to the Rams' bullpen for a seven-run eighth inning to take an 8-2 lead. The first three batters reached base for the Pack, as Jed Cambre (single), Jaxon Buratt (walk), and McDonald (single) loaded the bases with no outs. Wolf Pack skipper Jeremy Kennedy opted to use two left-handed pinch-hitters against the right-handed Mobile reliever, and it paid off. Tanner Powell was hit by a pitch to tie the game, 2-2, then JJ Garcia delivered the big blow, a double over the right fielder's head to score two more, 4-2. 
 

After a pitching change, Drew Lee scored another run on a groundout, 5-2, and Lewis singled through the left side to plate another, 6-2, during back-to-back at-bats. Myles Liggans and Cambre both reached base after that, then Buratt doubled down the right-field line to make the score 8-2. 
 

Frank Fernradez got the win with a flawless top of the eighth before Loyola scored all those runs, and Hunter Ponson pitched the ninth while giving up Mobile's last run. 
 

Pack Facts

• Brady Bowen had another great start, collecting a season-high six strikeouts while only giving up two runs and five hits over seven innings. It was his third outing this season pitching seven innings.

• Bowen moved into third on Loyola's all-time strikeouts list with 228, passing former teammate Brenden Taravella, who had 225. He now needs 12 more strikeouts to get into second on the list. 

• Jaxon Buratt went 2-for-4 at the plate with a walk, a run and two RBI. Buratt's batting average continues to go up, as the junior is now on a six-game hitting streak and is hitting .375 for the season. 

• Nathan McDonald went 2-for-5 at the plate to bring his team-high hits total to 33. 

• John Lewis went 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and a game-high two runs scored. 

• With his third double of the year, JJ Garcia rejoined the .300 club this season and is now hitting .306, one of seven Wolf Pack players over .300 with at least 10 games played.