John Melvin University baseball traveled to Pineville this past weekend to take on future Red River Conference opponent Louisiana Christian University. LCU has been a program on the rise over the past few seasons, winning the Red River Conference tournament last season and qualifying for a postseason birth in the NAIA Opening round, where they would get sent to the Georgia Gwinnett regional and make it to the semifinals. LCU already has two Top 25 wins this season, Splitting the Opening Day triangle with #12 Kansas Wesleyan and #13 Mid-America Christian. This was a big opponent for the Millers to compete against.
In what is becoming classic Miller style this season, JMU had to come back from an early deficit in Game 1. With Ace pitcher Gavin LeBlanc on the mound and the high-powered Miller offense going to work, though, that was no problem. The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead, scoring a run in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. That lead would only last for another inning, as the Millers took the lead with three runs in the top of the 3rd inning thanks to RBIs from Trevor Durr, Sammy Maddox, and Connor Pleasant. The offense would add on four more runs in the top of the 5th, thanks to timely hitting from Trevor Durr, Sammy Maddox, Connor Pleasant, and Gavin Gary. Gavin LeBlanc earned his second win of the season, working six strong innings, punching out 9 Wildcats, and allowing just three earned runs. Caleb Ougel picked up his first save of the season, entering the game with a runner on first in the final inning and slamming the door shut for a Miller Victory.
JMU 7 - LCU - 4
2B: Noah Watkins (1)
HBP: Andrew Ashby (1), Braeden Morgan (1)
SB: Andrew Ashby (2), Gavin Gary (1)
Win: Gavin LeBlanc (2-0)
Save: Caleb Ougel (1)
Game 2 of the doubleheader started off just like the first, and in classic Miller fashion, JMU won the game after an early inning deficit. Louisiana Christian jumped out to an early lead thanks to a first-inning home run to make the score 2-0. From there on, it would be all Millers. Louisiana Christian hit three home runs in the game but it was not enough to keep up with the JMU offense. Braeden Morgan tied the single-game hit record for JMU with his 4-4 day, leading the offense to 13 hits and six runs in the winning effort. Starting pitcher Colt LeJeune fought hard and kept the Millers in the game, allowing four runs in 3.1 innings pitched, but Junior pitcher Bryce Oquinn was the hero on the mound in this one. After coming in and slamming the door shut to close out the Opening Day victory, Oquinn fired 3.2 innings of shutout baseball, allowing just one hit and punching out 5 Wildcats in relief to earn his first win of the season.
JMU 6 - LCU 4
2B: Connor Pleasant (2), Lane Kratzer (2), Noah Watkins (2)
Win: Bryce Oquinn (1-0)
The come-from-behind magic ran out for the Millers in the Sunday finale of the series. The Millers gave up four runs in the second inning and were never able to climb back. Gavin Walker hit his first career home run in the 7th inning to bring the score to 4-1, but the Wildcats answered back in the bottom of the 7th with two more runs. Troy Morel got off to a rough start, giving up four runs in the 2nd inning but settled in to throw up three zeros and was able to keep the Millers within striking distance. Morel ended his day with five innings, three earned runs, and 4 strikeouts. Garrett Walker made his season debut in the final inning of the game, throwing a scoreless inning with one strikeout.
LCU 6 - JMU 1
2B: Eli Musgraves (1), Sammy Maddox (1)
HR: Gavin Walker (1)
Loss: Troy Morel (0-2)
The Millers picked up a very big series victory, two games to one. JMU has now won back-to-back series to start the season and has not lost a series since February 17th of last season. The Millers return to action this weekend in Pensacola, Florida for their first-ever NSAC conference matchup with Lighthouse Christian College.
