LSUS Beats Judson in NAIA Tournament to Avoid Elimination

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The 11th ranked and 2-seed LSU Shreveport Pilots came from behind to eliminate the 4-seed Judson Eagles from the Opening Round (Montgomery Bracket) with an 8-5 win on Tuesday afternoon to stay alive in the tournament. The Pilots advance and will face elimination tonight against the 5-seed Point Skyhawks at 7 p.m. CDT.
Judson (42-19) came out swinging the bats all 10 of their hits in the game's first five innings as they led 4-1 at the end of the fifth inning. The Pilots starter Brandon Texiera was taken out after three innings of work after allowing seven of those hits but allowed just two earned runs on one walk and two strikeouts.
The Pilots' first reliever Caleb Olson contributed an inning and 1/3 allowing two hits and two earned runs. LSUS (43-17) found the answer with junior left hander Jake Hansen as he worked the final four and 2/3 innings allowing only one hit, one run (unearned), two walks and four strikeouts earning his 6th win of the season.
Hansen worked around back-to-back walks to start the bottom of the 7th inning but battled back allowing only an unearned run as the Pilots trailed 5-3, but it would be the last run of the game for Judson. He struck out three of the final four batters that he faced to seal up the win for the Pilots.
The Judson starter Ryan Perez did a good job at keeping the Pilots hitters off balance as he worked quickly and did not allow them much time to get adjusted in the box. The first run of the game came via an rbi-single from Ridge Gonsoulin who led the Pilots at the plate going 3-for-4 with two runs batted. His third and last hit of the contest was a no-doubter solo homer to lead off the top of the 6th inning to trim the Judson lead to 4-2 at that point of the game. Perez departed in the 8th inning after a leadoff single by David Dorton and then a walk to Blair Landry.
William Breland's rbi-single brought the Pilots to within one in the top of the 8th and Connor McMullin's hit-by-pitch tied the game at 5.
LSUS added three runs in the 9th inning to tie the game as the first two batters of the inning reached on walks and then Blair Landry moved the runners over with a sac-bunt to set the table for Kade Billeaudeaux. He answered the call ripping a two-run double down the right field line to break the tie putting the Pilots on top 7-5. Billeaudeaux brought in the go-ahead runs an inning after he failed to move the runners over with an attempted sac-bunt.

Source: LSUS Sports Information Dept.