University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Western Kentucky
Cajuns Fall in Conference Opener as WKU Hits Homerun in Ninth
3/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Friday, Mar.21, 2003
BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team drops their Sun Belt conference opener here at Nick Denes Field 4-3 to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Louisiana-Lafayette (6-19) falls to 0-1 to begin Sun Belt conference play.
Sophomore Kevin Ardoin received his second start of the season on the mound for the Cajuns against Hilltopper ace J.C. Faircloth. Faircloth came into the game with a 4-0 record and a 1.95 ERA in five starts for Western Kentucky.
Junior outfielder Corey Coles led off the game for the Cajuns by stretching an apparent single to left field into a lead off double. Shortstop Dallas Morris laid a sacrifice bunt down the first base line to advance Coles to third. Coles scored the first run of the game for UL Lafayette on a single down the right field line by senior Bryan Sneed.
The Hilltoppers scored three runs off Ardoin to take a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Ardoin battled control problems by walking two batters and hitting one other in the inning. Western Kentucky capitalized with a two run single by center fielder Rafael Vallejo. The final run of the inning came on a called balk on Ardoin to score shortstop Travis Brown from third base.
The Cajuns added a run in the third inning off Faircloth to cut the Hilltopper lead to one run. Corey Coles scored his second run of the game after reaching on a base hit. Coles scored from third on a sacrifice fly by clean-up hitter Brad Saloom.
Ardoin settled down on the mound and held the Hilltoppers hitless until the ninth inning after a leadoff double in the fifth inning.
UL Lafayette tied the game after Brad Saloom led off the sixth inning with an infield single. Sophomore first baseman Phillip Hawke drove in his team leading 17th RBI of the year on a double to right field that scored Saloom from first.
Western Kentucky pitcher Matt Wilhite came on in relief of Faircloth with the game tied 3-3 in the eighth inning. Faircloth pitched seven complete innings, holding the Cajuns to three runs on seven hits and three strikeouts in the no decision.
Hilltopper catcher Kevin Bearden hit a walk off homerun to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game for Western Kentucky. Ardoin (0-3) suffered the loss despite holding the Hilltoppers to just five hits on the night. Ardoin threw eight innings, allowing four runs on just five hits and striking out eight batters. Wilhite (2-1) picked up the win for Western Kentucky in two innings of relief.
The series resumes tomorrow at 1 p.m. when senior left-hander Andy Gros (1-4, 5.10 ERA) gets the start on the mound for the Cajuns against Andy Baldwin (1-3, 3.76 ERA) for the Hilltoppers.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
