FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 10, 2002
COLES SINGLES IN GAME-WINNING RUN IN BOTTOM OF NINTH
Outfielder finishes weekend 6-for-10 with three RBIs; Gabriel named to All-Tourney team
HOUSTON – With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Louisiana-Lafayette leftfielder Corey Coles hit a single past diving Texas thirdbaseman J.D. Reininger and Chad Verret came around from second to score beating the throw from UT leftfielder Eric Sultemeier, giving the Cajuns a 4-3 win over the Longhorns Sunday at the 2002 Astros College Classic.
With the win UL Lafayette (2-1) finished tied for first at the eight-team tournament.
Coles finished the weekend 6-for-10 with three RBIs in his first two starts in the outfield.
“I really missed hitting from high school,” said Coles, who was used solely as a pitcher in 2001. “I still love to swing the bat, and I though I'd give it a shot after a year of pitching.”
And what a shot it was. Coles paced the Cajuns' offense in both Saturday and Sunday's games, driving in the winning run today and three of the Cajuns' final five RBIs on the weekend.
Both teams started fast out of the gate.
In the top of the first, Sultemeier took a Jeff Martinez offering over the left field wall for an early 1-0 Longhorns lead.
The Cajuns answered with three of their own in the bottom of the first. It was UL Lafayette's first three-run inning of the weekend.
Shortstop and UT transfer Chase Lambin got things going for La.-Lafayette with a single down the left field line. Coles followed with a single, advancing Lambin to third. The next at bat, Bryan Sneed singled to left scoring Lambin and tying the game 1-1. A fielding error on Ryan Hubele allowed runners to advance one base.
Brad Saloom then singled in Coles to give the Cajuns a 2-1 lead. A passed ball after Robert Shelton struck out allowed Sneed to score putting the Cajuns up 3-1.
Both pitchers would settle down from there on.Texasstarter Alan Bomer would allow only three Cajuns' hits for the next 5 1/3 innings.Martinezleft after 2 2/3 with possible ligament damage. Junior Andy Gros came in and shut down the ‘Horns, allowing just 3 hits in 5 innings (two of them came in the eighth).
With the Cajuns up 3-2 in the top of the eighth, the ‘Horns finally got to Gros.
Michael Hollimon led off the eighth with a walk. He moved to second on a groundout by Nic Costa. Tim Moss followed with a single to center, but Hollimon advanced to third. Sultemeier then hit a single, scoring Moss to tie the game 3-3.
The Cajuns intentionally walked Ryan Hubele loading the bases. Head coach
Tony Robichaux made the call to the bullpen for closer Jordy Templet. Templet, who gave up the winning hit and run against Texas A&M Saturday, redeemed himself, getting pinch hitter Chris Carmichael to strike out with the bases loaded.
Templet worked his way through the ninth, after Curtis Thigpen doubled down the left field line with one out. Templet then got Hollimon to pop up to Lambin and struck out pinch hitter Dustin Majewski to end the ‘Horns' threat.
The rest was history in the bottom of the ninth.
Templet (1-1) got the win in relief for Gros and BrantleyJordan(0-1) was tagged with the loss for UT.
Gros finished the weekend with 7 2/3 innings in relief striking out five and allowing only five hits to the 28 batters he faced.
Justin Gabriel, pitching for the first time since June 2000 at the College World Series, was named to the All-Tournament team. Gabriel went 7 2/3 allowing two runs on five hits and striking five, while posting a 2.35 ERA.
The Cajuns return toLafayetteto open up the 25th home season at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field Friday-Sunday, Feb.15-17 againstCentral Florida. Fans should note the new start time for Friday night's game, which begins at6:30 p.m.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
