ROBICHAUX EARNS 500TH WIN?March 2, 2002
3/2/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ROBICHAUX EARNS 500TH WIN
March 2, 2002
?LAFAYETTE – Louisiana's Ragin' Cajun head baseball coach
Tony Robichaux earned his 500th career win as his squad took a pair from visiting Texas-Pan American 5-1 and 12-5 Saturday at "Tigue" Moore Field.
?Robichaux, just 40 years old, is one of the youngest coaches in the NCAA to achieve the 500 milestone. He won 244 games in his seven-year tenure at McNeese State and now has 256 in his eight-year stint as the Cajun mentor.
?Sophomore right fielder Corey Coles continued his torrid hitting, going 3-for-4 in the first game, while Chase Lambin added two hits and four RBIs in the nightcap as Louisiana-Lafayette (9-3) won its fifth game in six outings at home.
?Senior left-hander Justin Gabriel (2-0) picked up the opening win on the mound, scattering six hits while striking out six. Andy Gros struck out seven in the final three frames to get the save.
?In the second game, the Cajuns found themselves in a tight one before breaking it open in the late innings. After UTPA catcher Matt Eichel hit a solo home run in the sixth, the Broncs (2-13) found themselves down just 4-3.
?In the seventh, though, the Bronc defense fell apart – committing four errors in the seventh as the hosts plated five to break it open.
?Lambin added more insurance in the eighth with a three-run shot, his team-best third of the young season. The Cajuns scored eight runs in their final two at-bats, making a winner out of Brandt Ray (1-0, eight strikeouts on night) while Donnie Bair got his first career save.
?Louisiana-Lafayette had a season-best 15 hits. Six different players recorded at least two hits.
In the first game, Louisiana-Lafayette jumped out early on UTPA starter Travis Parker. Cajun left fielder Bryan Sneed gave the squad a quick 3-0 lead with a home run to right. Louisiana-Lafayette added another run in the fourth and one in the third before riding the southpaw duo of Gabriel and Gros.
Coles and Sneed, hitting back-to-back in the lineup, combined to go 5-for-8 with three RBIs and three runs scored. On the day, meanwhile,the Cajuns tallied 24 hits.
?The two teams will wrap up the three-game series with a 1 p.m. single game Sunday.
--LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE--
