Ragin? Cajun News

3/31/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

FIU RALLIES TO EDGE CAJUNS...March 31, 2002

MIAMI - Louisiana-Lafayette head baseball coach Tony Robichaux has been preaching to his squad all season about playing the complete game. He nearly got a complete weekend.

?However, the visiting Cajuns struggled defensively Sunday and host-Florida International rallied late to take a 9-7 Sun Belt Conference win at Community Stadium.

?The 20th-ranked Golden Panthers (26-7, 3-3 SBC) scored five runs in the eighth to erase a 7-4 deficit to avoid the conference sweep. Bernard Gonzalez put FIU ahead to stay with a three-run home run, and Tommy Duenas also added a round-tripper. Michael Mendez (1-0) got the win in relief, and Carlos Alvarez worked a flawless ninth to earn his first save.

The Cajuns (20-10, 4-2 SBC) committed three errors on the afternoon but did get another solid offensive outing. Louisiana-Lafayette pounded out 12 hits, including a two-hit performance from Corey Coles. The loss snapped a four-game win streak against ranked opponents.

Louisiana-Lafayette got in trouble early. FIU knocked around Cajun starter Donnie Bair with three runs in the first inning. Bair only recorded one out, but the Cajuns got a good mound performance out of reliever Jordy Templet.

Templet, who had a good outing at Tulane in a starting role Wednesday, gave up just one run in his first six innings of work and allowed the Cajuns the opportunity to take a 7-4 lead. In the eighth, though, the Golden Panthers finally caught up to Templet with Scott Adams' two-run homer. Kraig Schambaugh relieved the Gonzales product but lasted just three batters -- including a walk, single and error.

Freshman closer Kevin Ardoin tried to get the Cajuns out of the hole, but Gonzalez ripped one over the left field wall to put FIU ahead to stay.

The Cajuns, however, took two out of three from FIU and won a series in Miami for the first time in three tries.

Louisiana-Lafayette will take the field again Tuesday, hosting Lamar in a 6:30 p.m. contest at Moore Field.

--LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE--