Top-ranked Pilots secure NAIA World Series berth with 54th straight win
Story by: LSU Shreveport Athletics
SHREVEPORT, La. — Top-ranked LSU Shreveport kept its dominant season alive and punched its ticket to the Avista-NAIA World Series with a 9-6 victory over Mid-America Christian in the NAIA Baseball Opening Round Shreveport Bracket Championship on Wednesday evening at Pilot Field.
The Pilots (54-0) built a commanding lead with a five-run third inning, started by Ryan Davenport's RBI single and a sacrifice fly from Vantrel Reed. Ian Montz then launched a three-run homer—his 14th of the season—to break the game open.
Josh Gibson's RBI double in the fourth extended the lead to 6-0. LSUS then capitalized on a pair of MACU defensive miscues in the fifth, pushing across three more runs behind a bases-loaded walk by Angel Rodriguez and another RBI walk from Davenport.
MACU (41-17) didn't go quietly, erupting for six runs in the sixth. Giordany Mendoza delivered a two-run single, Guillermo Velasco and Taiga Sakuma each drew bases-loaded walks, and Cristopher Munoz added a sac fly before Noel McGarry-Doyle capped the rally with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 9-6.
Isaac Rohde (14-0) earned the win for LSUS, tossing 4.2 shutout innings with five strikeouts and just two hits allowed. Brock Lucas shut down the MACU bats the rest of the way, earning his second save of the season by allowing just one hit and striking out four over 3.2 innings.
Gabriel Dixon (6-3) took the loss for the Evangels, surrendering five runs over 2.2 innings.
Montz finished with three RBI and a stolen base, while Davenport drove in two. Jackson Syring and Gibson each doubled, and LSUS turned two double plays to aid its pitching staff.
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