Junior pitcher Kyle Cedotal (right) pitched a complete game. The Denham Springs native struck out 14 batters, a career high, in seven innings on the mound.
The Lion’s Roar / Melanie Mann
In the final game of the series versus Abilene Christian, senior pitcher Kyle Cedotal prevented all but two hits from the opposition.
The series, held at the Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field, took place from Friday, March 13 to Sunday, March 15, marking the scoreboard at 11-3, 2-9 and 11-0, respectively.
“I was really proud of the guys,” said head coach Matt Riser. “They came out, they competed the way they were supposed to from the get-go. We pitched well, we hit well, we played defense well. All around, it was a good game.”
The final game of the series brought six innings of no-hitters in favor of the Lions. It was not until the final inning that Abilene Christian managed two hits. Still, the opposition failed to make a dent in the scoreboard throughout the game. Cedotal struck out 14 batters, a career-high for the Denham Springs native.
“Kyle Cedotal was absolutely phenomenal today,” said Riser. “We’ve started pitching really well, all three guys: Tate Scioneaux Friday night, Jake Johnson, Kyle Cedotal. We’ve got to do a better job climbing the bullpen, throwing strikes and getting some guys out with different mentalities, but I thought overall, pitching really carried this weekend.”
Their strong performances led to a friendly competition between Johnson and Cedotal.
“We’re kind of having a competition to see who can get the best ERA [earned run average],” said Johnson, grinning as he praised his teammate. “He definitely made a jump toward me today, so we’ll see after the game how it compares.”
The strong lead and final wipeout game left many fans wondering what contributed to the 2-9 loss Saturday. The game was neck-in-neck for eight innings, until Abilene Christian managed a devastating seven runs in the ninth. According to Johnson, it was all about the energy.
“We came out with energy, and we kind of lost it,” said Johnson. “The first game and this last game, we had energy the whole game, kept the bats alive, never got complacent and that made the biggest difference.”
The next home game will be against Jackson State on Wednesday, March 18 at 6 p.m.
“It doesn’t matter who we play or who the opponent is,” said Riser. “We’ve got Tulane next, but I don’t care if it’s the New York Yankees; it doesn’t matter as long as we execute what we need to execute [and] from our standpoint, we’ve got a chance at a lot of success.”