A dominating pitching performance by Frank Racioppo in game one and a late inning comeback in game two highlighted a double header sweep 7-3 and 6-5 for the Park University Gilbert Buccaneers over La Sierra University on Friday at Indian School Park as they snapped a five-game losing streak and upped their record in conference play to 6-2 on the season.
In game one, the story was Racioppo (3-0), who has taken the ball in game one in every series but the first series of the season against Taylor and today he pitched like an ace. He threw the first complete game in Buccaneers history, scattering 10 hits and allowing three runs (two earned) and struck out seven without walking a batter.
"He did a great job," said Buccaneers head coach Kelly Stinnett. "the first couple of innings we didn't do a great job behind him, but he settled in did a great job and got us that CG."
La Sierra got on the board first in the second inning after a HBP started things off, then a dropped ball on an attempted double play turn by shortstop Matthew Armendariz kept things going for the Golden Eagles. An infield hit loaded the bases, before a 6-4-3 double play plated LSU's first run.
The Bucs answered in the second starting with catch Austin Chouinard reaching on a throwing error, followed by a Bryce Beck walk. With one out LSU catcher Dylan Cooksley tried to throw behind Beck at first and threw it into right field which allowed both Beck and courtesy runner Alex Elizondo to advance to second and third. Armendariz then made up for his error in the top half of the inning with a single to center to plate two and the Buccaneers jumped on top 2-1.
The Golden Eagles tied things up in the top half of the third with two doubles. Before Park Gilbert open the game up in the bottom half of the same frame and they did it all with two outs. Diego Bejarano singled to center followed by the first of four consecutive hits on the day for Chouinard. Then Beck singled home Bejarano to give the Buccaneers a lead they would not relinquish. But the scoring was not over, a single by third baseman Andrew Dresden scored Elizondo who was running for Chouinard. Beck advanced to third on the play and then when LSU shortstop Abel Plascencia threw the ball away trying to throw behind Dresden at first, Beck came home to score.
Racioppo settled in at this point allowing just five hits and one run over the last six innings as he seemed to get stronger as the game went along, striking out four. The Bucs added a couple of insurance runs in the fifth and seventh on and RBI single by Dresden and a sacrifice fly by Beck, but they were not needed.
In game two, Park Gilbert launched the first salvo in the bottom of the first, scoring three runs behind scoring singles by Beck and Dresden. Beck came home later in the inning on a wild pitch and the Buccaneers were up 3-0, which look as though it might hold up as starting pitcher Luke Richards was strong through the first four innings, striking out four and only allowing two hits. But in the fifth, he hit a wall and a walk sandwiched between two hits, a sacrifice fly and another single tied the game.
Both teams exchanged runs in the six, then LSU took their first lead in the seventh off reliver Matthew Medina. This put the Buccaneers in an unfamiliar position they have not been in at home in five games; trailing in the late innings. Down 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth, leadoff hitter Alex Stinnett walked with one out, then Elizondo had a great at bat fouling off multiple pitches before lashing a single to right on a 3-2 pitch. Stinnett, who was running on the pitch, advanced to third. Bejarano then launched a majestic fly ball to the wall in right and while it only resulted in a sacrifice fly, it got the job done as Stinnett sauntered home to tie the game at five. Then with Elizondo on first, LSU elected to intentionally walk Chouinard who was 5-8 on the day and put the go ahead run in scoring position at second. La Sierra made a pitching change to face Beck who had arguably been just as hot as Chouinard, having gone 4-6 on the day up to this point. The gamble did not pay off for the Eagles as Beck made them pay with a laced single to right to score Elizondo to give the Bucs the lead.
"I had a feeling (the walk) was coming," said Stinnett. "He was the hottest bat in the lineup, but Bryce did a great job coming up big for us at the end."
Closer Diego Bustillos then came on in the ninth to close things out and pick up his third save on the season. Medina picks up the win to even his record on the year at 1-1.
The two teams will meet tomorrow night in the last conference game of the series at 7:30 p.m. at Indian School Park. They will then play a non-conference game on Sunday at 11 a.m. as both teams are looking to add games to their schedule with not as many games being played this year.
GAME NOTES
For the "you don't see this every day" note, in the fifth inning, the Buccaneers had three hits to start the innings and with the bases loaded, Joel Adamson hit into a 6-4-3 triple play. Adamson hit a high chopper to short; Beck hesitated maybe to get in the way of the ground ball of maybe forgetting he was forced. LSU shortstop Alex Felix grabbed the ball, tagged Beck for the first out then threw to second for the second out and the completed the play with the throw to barely get Adamson at first.
Prior to Frank Racioppo's complete game today, the longest outing for a Bucs pitcher was last year by Aaron de Groot, tomorrow's starter who went seven innings against the College of Idaho. de Groot also had the longest outing this year before Racioppo's gem today when he went six innings against Providence Christian.
This was the second double header sweep for the Bucs this season. The Buccaneers have two sweeps, have been swept three time and have split one double header against the same opponent.
