Although it is still in last place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, the Loyola baseball team is becoming a force in the conference.

The team is only a game behind fourth-place Spring Hill and has the same number of conference wins (five) as Belhaven.

After tough losses to Master’s College and Alcorn St., the Wolfpack (6-23, 5-13) showed signs of improvement over the weekend of march 21, winning two of three over Belhaven.

“We took a big step forward,” assistant coach Brett Simpson said.

Biology sophomore David Griener singled home biology freshman David Lauricella with two outs in the top of the tenth inning, giving the ‘Pack a 5-4 win last Friday.

Greiner led the offense, going 3 for 5 with the game winning RBI.

Economics senior Alan Bouterie (1-1) got the victory in relief. He pitched the ninth and tenth innings for Loyola, allowing no runs.

In the seventh and eighth innings, psychology sophomore Gian Balsamo held Belhaven scoreless.

Management senior Scott Schenck, communications senior Ryan Moity, and Lauricella each had two hits for Loyola.

In the first game of the doubleheader the next day, the Blazers (19-15, 5-11) scored four runs with two outs in the bottom of the second inning off of starter Balsamo (0-5).

In relief for Loyola, communications senior Brad Showalter allowed three runs in three and a third innings.

Pre-engineering sophomore Greg Veltri and communications freshman Brian Sullivan each went two of three offensively.

Schenck led Loyola at the plate and on the mound in the second game of the doubleheader to give Loyola a 3-2 victory.

With Loyola trailing 1-0 in the top of the third inning in the second game, Schenck doubled in two runs to give the Wolfpack a 2-1 lead.

Schenck earned his second save of the season.

Starter Tory Western (1-4), biology sophomore, pitched four innings and gave up two runs on five hits.

“Schenck, Tory and Bouterie have all pitched well their last few times,” Simpson said.

Wednesday, the ‘Pack played at Southeastern University, an NCAA Division I team.

In the first inning, Ryan Moity hit a two-run home run.

But the Lions roared past Loyola in the fourth; SLU scored nine runs, including a grand slam, off starting pitcher Showalter.

The bullpen would allow four more runs in later innings, as the ‘Pack lost, 14-6.

“We had a good effort against a Division I team,” Simpson said.

Loyola begins a three-game series against Mobile tonight at 6 p.m. at Turchin Stadium.