NEW ORLEANS, La. –The Bethel Wildcats used solid pitching and strong hitting to earn a doubleheader sweep at Loyola in New Orleans Friday. The Bat Cats beat the Pack 5-1 and 18-1 in the twin-bill.
Colby Poston drove in single runs in the second and fourth innings of game one. Lucas Riddick had an RBI double in the fourth. Clayton Parker added an insurance run with an RBI in the seventh. Trevor Bishop scattered seven hits allowing just one run in the bottom of the seventh. Bishop picked up his team leading seventh win of the season. Joseph Kuchler suffered the Loyola loss.
In game two Bethel took a 4-0 lead with four runs in the second inning. Parker had a two-run single while Riddick had a two -run double in the inning. Loyola cut the lead to 4-1 but the Cats scored two in the fourth to lead 6-1. Riddick had a RBI triple while Jack Surber drove in a row with a double. Randy Guevarez drove in two more runs in the sixth to increase the Wildcat lead to 9-1. Gabriel Matias padded the lead to 10-1 with a double in the seventh.
The Wildcats scored eight runs in the eighth. Guevarez drove in two runs. Parker, Riddick, Matias, Poston and Bradley Gill all drove in runs in the Wildcat explosion. The Wildcats sent 14 hitters to the plate in the inning. They had eight hits in the inning. Loyola committed two errors in the frame.
The 18 runs and 24 hits were the most in a game for Bethel this season. Riddick and Guevarez drove in four runs each in the onslaught.
Cody Ladner and Brady Jones combined for a two-hitter. Ladner picked up the victory.
Bethel moved to 24-19 overall and 10-10 in the SSAC. Loyola dropped to 21-28 and 7-13. The two teams close out the series Saturday at 1 p.m.
Live video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/loyno/
Live stats: http://www.dakstats.com/Websync/Pages/WebcastPlayByPlay/WebcastPBP.aspx?association=10&sg=MBA&compID=241393&sea=NAIMBA_2017
