SHREVEPORT-The Centenary baseball team saw an 8-3 lead spoiled late as Oakland scored 10 unanswered runs in the final five innings to earn a 13-8 win over the Gents on Thursday evening in the opening contest of the four-game Summit League set.
Centenary (11-29, 8-16 Summit) tallied 11 hits, but a late-run offensive execution by the Golden Grizzlies (17-30, 8-17) proved enough for the win.
The Gents were led offensively by freshman Tyler Neporadny, who finished the evening 4-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Classmate Pete Rajkovich was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI and senior Derek Dalzell (1x4, 3 RBI) drove in three on a bases-clearing double.
Also picking up hits for Centenary were freshmen Mark Gillean (1x5), RJ Talamantes (1x3, 2 R) and juniors Kyle Morton (1x4, RBI) and Jeff Schaffert (1x3, 2 R, RBI).
Sophomore Kelby Langston (0.1,3,2,2,0,1) suffered the loss out of the pen, falling to 1-3 on the year. The righty was the third pitcher for the Gents as he allowed two runs on three hits.
Freshman Nic Parrott (2.2,5,3,3,1,1) got the start, but left when Centenary and Oakland were tied 3-3, granting him a no decision. The left-hander lasted 2.2 innings, giving up three runs on five hits and a walk with one strikeout.
Reliever Ryan Maldonado (3.1,3,4,4,1,1) took over in the second with two outs and worked a total of 3.1 innings out of the pen. The freshman surrendered four runs on three hits and a walk, while fanning one.
Also seeing action out of the pen were freshman Marc Martinez (0.1,2,0,0,0,0), junior Zach Christ (0.1,1,2,1,1,1), freshman Laetten Galbraith (0.2,1,2,2,2,0) and freshman Sam Martin (1.1,1,0,0,0,0).
Oakland grabbed one run in the first, but Centenary responded with two in the home half of the frame when Schaffert and Neporadny each had RBI-singles, plating Rajkovich, who singled and Talamantes, who walked.
The Golden Grizzlies scored two more to go up 3-2, but a run off the bat of Rajkovich in the second for the Gents evened the score once again.
Centenary looked in good shape when it plated five runs over the third and fourth frames, including an impressive four-run fourth. Dalzell drove in three on a double down the left field line, while Morton grabbed an RBI on a sacrifice fly to take a convincing 8-3 lead.
Though, the Gents were silenced late in the game as they were held without a run in the final five frames. Oakland used eight hits over the seventh and eighth innings.
Centenary and Oakland will continue its series on Friday afternoon with a double-header slated to begin at 1 pm. Live stats will be available at www.GoCentenary.com.
