LCU completes sweep at Huston-Tillotson to set up next weekend’s first place RRAC battle with LSUS

AUSTIN, Texas – The Wildcats of Louisiana Christian University completed a three-game sweep of Huston-Tillotson on Saturday by claiming a 2-1 win over the Rams.

At HT’s venerable Downs Field, the Wildcats’ Dylan David knocked home the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning when he doubled to left field and allowed pinch runner Jett Aubé to score from second base.

With the win, the Wildcats (22-7) maintained their share of first place in the Red River Athletic Conference with a 15-3 league record. LCU is tied atop the conference standings with LSU–Shreveport, the team the Wildcats visit next weekend.

LCU’s Cy Fontenot and Braxton Cooksey combined for nine solid innings on the mound while striking out eight batters. Cooksey got the win in relief with four scoreless innings and five strikeouts to his stat line.

The Rams were unable to give enough run support to pitcher Steel Kupec, who struck out 10 batters and scattered six hits as he went the distance and pitched a complete game. Kupec’s only blemish was a throwing error in the ninth inning while trying to double off Aubé from first base after a popup, allowing the runner to move to second. However, the error may have been moot with Aubé’s speed and the double off David’s bat.

LCU opened the scoring in the third inning when Drake Angeron’s two-out double allowed Nicklaus Stein to score from second base. Stein was running in place of catcher Noah Gaspard, who collected a team-high two hits Saturday.

Zech Robichaux tied the game for the Rams in the bottom of the fifth when he singled home Taylor Grimes from second.

The Rams came close to taking a lead in the bottom of the seventh inning when their first two runners reached base. Cooksey then struck out Grimes and induced a flyout from Robbie Brue before walking Robichaux, HT’s cleanup hitter. With the bases loaded, Cooksey got two strikes on Brian Gardner and then struck him out swinging on a 1-2 pitch to keep the game tied.

Nicholas Brunet and Adrian Aguilar also knocked base hits in the game for the Wildcats.

NEXT UP:
A big series and a battle for first place in the RRAC awaits the Wildcats as they visit LSU–Shreveport, the No. 4-ranked team in the NAIA. The series begins Friday, March 31, at 6 p.m., and will conclude Saturday, April 1, with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at noon.

All three games will be played at Pilot Field on the LSU–Shreveport campus.