Gold Rush hold on for 6-4 victory at Louisiana Christian

PINEVILLE, La. — D’Aires Davis homered and tripled, Blair Frederick pitched eight innings, and Zachary Elias earned a save to help Xavier University of Louisiana earn a 6-4 victory Friday against Louisiana Christian in the opener of a three-game Red River Athletic Conference baseball series.

The Gold Rush (19-21 overall, 15-15 RRAC) and the Wildcats (28-15, 20-11) will conclude the regular season in a noon Saturday doubleheader. Both teams have qualified for the RRAC Tournament, an eight-team event May 6-9 at Sterlington, La.

Davis’ third-inning, one-out home run down the right-field line broke a tie at 1, scored Co Co Simoneaux and put XULA ahead to stay.

For the fourth straight start, Frederick earned the victory in the opener of an RRAC series. The fifth-year left-hander pitched eight innings, allowed five hits, walked four and struck out seven. Of the three runs Frederick allowed, one was earned.

Elias, who starts at shortstop, went to the mound with one out in the ninth after Ju’Juan Franklin singled in a run. He hit his first batter, Nick Brunet, to load the bases, then struck out Peyton Lamartiniere and Nicklaus Stein to end the game.

Elias, Dillon Cousin, Mark Herron and Courtland Posey drove in the other XULA runs. Davis, Posey and Elias had two hits apiece, and Deionte Norris reached base safely three times.

XULA climbed to seventh place in the RRAC, a half-game ahead of Houston-Victoria, which lost 5-4 at Our Lady of the Lake.