Pilots fall to UT-Tyler
By: Brandon Dunn
Updated: March 19, 2013
SHREVEPORT, La. - The UT-Tyler Patriots scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the 9th with two outs to slip by the LSU Shreveport Pilots on Tuesday afternoon by a final score of 5-4 at Pilot Field.
The top of the ninth did not go in the Pilots favor as they entered the inning with a 4-3 advantage and insert the year's past closer transitioned into this year's starter Cade Bowen for a bid at his first save of the season. The first batter of the inning reached on a throwing error by Zack LeJeune. The next batter walked and then Bowen retired the next two batters and appeared to have retired Kevan House for the final out but left fielder Kade Billeaudeaux missed the fly to allow the tying and go-ahead runs to score.
Billeaudeaux had been playing the entire game at second base but was removed for a diffensive replacement to put the more experienced second baseman Kym Barthel for the game's final outs. Kyle Pearson who started the game in left was moved to first for the ninth as well.
LSUS (20-10) scored the game's first run on a groundout by Friesen to take the early lead but UT-Tyler answered with a run in the second and then took the lead on a two-run single by Issac Tijerina in the top of the 3rd. They led by a pair until the Pilots rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Jared Vial had an rbi-single and the other two runs came in on walks for a 4-3 lead for LSUS which they held until the top of the 9th.
The bottom of ninth inning saw some fireworks as well the Pilots boarded the tying and winning runs but were unable to score. Billeaudeaux reached on an infield hit and then Estrada walked. Vial's sac bunt attempt was not successful as UT-Tyler threw out the lead runner at third. The Pilots thought the ball hit off Vial while he was in the box which would have been a foul ball. Coach Musgraves argued the call but was quickly tossed by the quick-triggered home plate umpire who stood there like he did not know what had happened and never offered to check with the field umpire.
The inning continued but the Pilots could not push anymore across as Reed Lavallee and Ridge Gonsoulin both flied out to end the game and give for Pilots Pitching Coach Chris Bertrand his first win against his former club.
Pearson hitting streak ends at 17-games as he was 0-for-3 tonight. Gonsoulin was 3-for-5 as he was the only Pilot with multi-hits and Pearson was the only one with multi-rbis with two.
