LSU Shreveport – Red River Athletic Conference – LSU Shreveport continues to prove why it is the number one team in the country. The Pilots hosted No. 4 Hope International (Calif.) and delivered a dominant performance, sweeping the four-game series to extend their historic winning streak. 

Game one saw the Pilots grind out a hard-fought 9–8 victory over Hope International. A clutch RBI single from Makana Olaso in the bottom of the eighth inning gave LSU Shreveport the go-ahead run. Joan Roman then shut down the Royals’ offense to secure his first win of the season, as the Pilots extended their winning streak. 

Game two was dominated by the Pilots’ pitching staff. Evan Gant got the start and was stellar, throwing three scoreless innings while allowing no hits, issuing two walks, and striking out four. Jacobo Gallegos followed with an equally impressive outing, earning his first win of the season after tossing three shutout innings with no hits allowed, one walk, and five strikeouts. The dominant pitching performance powered LSU Shreveport to a 5–2 victory.

Game three turned into an offensive explosion for the Pilots. Behind a season-high 19 hits, LSU Shreveport rolled past Hope International with a dominant 19–8 win to take a 3–0 series lead. Makana Olaso led the charge, finishing with four RBIs and a home run in an impressive performance at the plate. David Hankins earned the win, picking up his first victory of the season. With the decisive win, the Pilots carried all the momentum into game four of the series.

Game four was shaping up to be LSU Shreveport’s first loss of the season. Hope International carried a 1–0 lead, sparked by a David Shackleford sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth, into the late innings. In the bottom of the eighth, Carlos Sanchez delivered the clutch moment, ripping a two-RBI double to give the Pilots a 2–1 advantage. Robert Lastra then shut down the Royals’ lineup in the top of the ninth, sealing the comeback victory and securing Shreveport’s 65th consecutive win.

Cooper Carter – NAIA Ball Staff Writer