University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Troy
Buras' Dramatics Earn Cajuns Split in Doubleheader With TSU
2/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Saturday, Feb. 22, 2003
LAFAYETTE- UL Lafayette (4-7) splits a doubleheader here at M.L."Tigue" Moore Field with a ninth inning 7-6 comeback victory in game one and a 3-1 loss in game two against the Troy State Trojans.
Senior left-handed pitcher Andy Gros (1-1) made his third start of the year for the Cajuns in game one of the doubleheader against Troy State right-hander Eric Wikstrom (0-0).
Troy State got things going early when catcher Wade Miller hit a deep fly ball up in the wind that carried over the left centerfield wall to give the Trojans an early 1-0 lead against Gros in the first inning.
The Cajuns responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first to go ahead. Outfielder Josh Landry hit a one out double to left field off Trojan starter Eric Wikstrom. Landry scored when Corey Coles hit his second triple in as many games to the centerfield wall. Coles tagged up and scored on a Phillip Hawke fly ball to centerfield. The sacrifice fly was Hawke's 12th RBI of the season to lead the Cajuns.
The Trojans tied the score 2-2 to open the third inning after back-to-back singles by second baseman Casey O'Quinn and shortstop Tab Beadle. Both runners advanced on a passed ball and O'Quinn scored on a ground ball out to shortstop.
UL Lafayette pushed across a run in the fourth on a Matt Levering sacrifice fly scoring Phillip Hawke from third.
With the Cajuns leading 3-2 the Trojans scored four runs to knock Cajun pitcher Andy Gros out of the game in the fifth inning. Troy State third baseman Brian Lipman drove in two runs on a single to left field and outfielder Chad Howard followed up with a homerun to left field scoring two more to give the Trojans a 6-3 lead.
Gros lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on six hits, walking two and striking out six batters. Carencro, La., native Kraig Schambough relieved Gros with two outs in the fifth inning.
Schambough held the Trojans scoreless for the next 4 1/3 innings to keep the Cajuns within striking distance.
Louisiana-Lafayette added another run in the bottom of the fifth inning after catcher Justin Morgan doubled to open the inning and advanced to third on a ground ball to first base. Morgan scored on a balk by Wikstrom to narrow the deficit to 6-4.
Brandon Erwin relieved Wikstrom after pitching 5 2/3 innings and allowing four runs on eight hits. Erwin held the Cajuns at bay until the ninth inning.
Erwin struck out the first two Cajun batters to open the ninth inning. With two outs Ryan Core hit an apparent game-ending ground out to the third baseman, but Trojan catcher Wade Miller was called for catcher's interference giving Core first base. Charles Redmond drew a walk off Erwin to put the go ahead run at the plate in the form of pinch hitter Rhett Buras. Buras blasted an Erwin fastball over the left field wall for a walk off game-winning homerun.
Kraig Schambough (1-0) picked up his first win of the season in relief after only giving up one hit and no runs in 4 1/3 innings. Erwin got the game one loss for Troy State going three innings and letting up three runs (none earned) and two hits.
Game two turned into a pitcher's duel for the first four innings until Troy State first baseman Ashton McKelvey hit a homerun to right field off Cajun starter Jered Salazar with one-out to give the Trojans the early 1-0 lead.
UL Lafayette capitalized off of three Trojan errors to score the only Cajun run against Trojan starter Justin Eason in the bottom half of the fifth inning to even the game at 1-1.
Troy State scored the go ahead runs in the top of the sixth inning off Salazar on a two-run shot over the outfield wall by designated hitter Glen Hardy to give the Trojans the 3-1 advantage.
Trojan closer Doug Atkins came on in the seventh inning and picked up his second save of the season after shutting down the Cajuns. Salazar (1-2) suffered his second loss of the year for UL Lafayette while Eason (1-0) picked up his first win for the Trojans.
UL Lafayette goes to 4-7 on the year and head coach Tony Robichaux picks up his 290th victory as a Cajun and is now just two wins shy of becoming the all-time leader in wins as a Cajuns coach. Robichaux has a chance to tie the record Sunday against Troy State.
The Cajuns will finish
up the homestand with game three of the series Sunday
starting at 1 p.m. against Troy State. Sunday's game
will be televised live on Channel 17 (KLAF).
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
