CAJUNS XXX?May 18, 2002
5/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CAJUNS SWEEP TWINBILL FROM ASU...May 18, 2002
?LAFAYETTE – Louisiana's Ragin' Cajun baseball team took care of its side and got a little help Saturday, as the Cajuns swept a doubleheader from Arkansas State Saturday at "Tigue" Moore Field.
?Cajun first baseman Brad Saloom hit two home runs and tallied a career-best six RBIs in the twinbill-opneing 8-6 win, and the sophomore added another round-tripper during the 4-3 nightcap triumph.
?Saloom, who notched his first career home run April 23 against Southern, has now hit five shots in his last 12 games. He finished the day 3-for-7 with seven RBIs . Corey Coles, meanwhile, continued his hot season with four hits and two RBIs.
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?The wins, combined with South Alabama's doubleheader split at Western Kentucky, put the Cajuns just percentage points behind USA for first place in the SBC with just one game left. UL Lafayette, though, will have to win Sunday and have USA lose to WKU to claim the regular season crown.
?Cajun left-hander Andy Gros (10-3) got the win in Game One, hurling six innings while allowing just four hits and striking out four, and freshman Kevin Ardoin got his sixth save of 2002. Justin Gabriel (9-3) picked up his first victory in three outings after throwing 5 2/3 innings. Coles closed it out by recording the last two outs to pick up his second save.
?Gabriel got all the offense he needed in the fourth when the Cajuns erupted for four runs off ASU starter Brad Lovell (0-6). Charles Redmond led off the frame with a tape-measure home run, and Coles added a run-scoring double before Saloom added a solo round-tripper.
?In the first game, the Cajuns spotted ASU three unearned runs in the third and faced a 3-0 deficit. However, UL Lafayette responded in the fourth thanks to three straight hits to start the frame.
?Jason Wilson got it started with a double to left and came home on Corey Coles' RBI single. Saloom then evened the contest with a towering two-run homer to left.
?Saloom put the hosts ahead to stay in the fifth with his first career grand slam off ASU's John Anderson (3-5). The offense helped UL Lafayette overcome a sloppy defensive effort. The Cajuns committed five errors – one off a season high.
?The two teams will wrap up the three-game at 1 p.m. Sunday.
--LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE--
