By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports
The power returned for Bossier Parish baseball Thursday in the second game of a doubleheader sweep of Eastern Oklahoma State College to help the slugging Cavaliers to a 3-2 win after going without a home run in a 4-3 extra-inning win.
Emil Estrella hit his seventh home run of the season, a two-run blast in the first inning and Luke Bogan his sixth in the fourth inning to power the Cavs to their eighth win in nine outings. Estrella’s total leads the country and Bogan is tied for second, and BPCC led the NJCAA in home runs by a team earlier this week.
Cole Patrick picked up the win with five strong innings, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out two and walking none. Colin O’Grady got the save with two perfect innings that included four strikeouts.
Centerfielder Bennett Middelstedt was 2-for-2 with a double.
The Cavaliers’ first-game win came after a fielding error by the Mountaineers first baseman allowed Tyrus Hall to score from third with two outs. Hall led off the ninth with a triple.
John McDonald got the first-game win, allowing just one hit and one unearned run in four innings that included two strikeouts.
Bogan had his second straight 3-for-4 game at the plate. Dylan Biddick, Hayden Stringfellow and Adam Garcia were all 2-for-4. Biddick drove in two runs, Garcia had a double and Estrella started the scoring for Bossier Parish with a first inning double that scored Parker Gwyn.
The Cavaliers’ next games are on the road Saturday at Eastern Oklahoma State College.
CENTENARY: Gents’ head coach Mike Diaz captured career win No. 300 recently in an 11-2 victory on the road at Rhodes.
Centenary (1-1) waited an extra 72 hours and drove 300 miles to open the season last weekend after weather and conditions due to ongoing construction at Shehee Stadium, Centenary’s home field, forced the series to be moved to the Memphis suburbs.
Diaz, now in his 14th season with the Diamond Gents, became the all-time winningest coach in program history with his 292nd win last April at home and is now 300-212-1, having passed Ed McCann (1999-2010) for the school’s all-time wins mark.
The Gents are in the Hendrix College Invitational this weekend and do not play at home until March 5.
LSUS: The Pilots, as usual, have started strongly, riding an eight-game win streak after an opening loss. LSUS has won a Red River Athletic Conference player of the week award both weeks, with Draven Zeigler taking the first Pitcher of the Week honor on seven innings of two-hit ball in a win over 23rd-ranked Reinhardt before A.J. Fritz was named the current Hitter of the Week for last week’s 7 for 11 performance and 5 RBI in a 4-0 slate for the No. 5-ranked Pilots.
LSUS begins RRAC competition in Austin, Texas today with a series at Huston-Tillotson. The Pilots are not at home until March 8.
Contact Lee at lhiller051@hotmail.com