Balanced Attack Helps MT Even Series With 9-5 Win

Saturday, March 29

MOORE FIELD

N/A

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

Middle Tennessee

Balanced Attack Helps MT Even Series With 9-5 Win

3/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Saturday, March 29, 2003

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LAFAYETTE - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team falls by a score of 9-5 here at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field in game two of a three game conference series against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. UL Lafayette falls to 2-3 in the Sun Belt and 9-21 overall.

Senior left-handed pitcher Andy Gros made his 78^th career appearance on the mound for the Cajuns with the start. Gros pitched a complete game shutout victory against Western Kentucky in his last start a week ago.

UL Lafayette opened the scoring in the second inning against Middle Tennessee starter John Williams. Second baseman Brad Saloom led off the inning with a single through the left side of the Raider infield. Saloom moved over to second on a ground out and scored on a Rhett Buras double to right center field. Buras picked up his eighth RBI of the year to give the Cajuns an early 1-0 lead.

The Blue Raiders struck with a big four run inning to open the fourth against Gros. Left fielder Chris LeGuenec started the scoring with a two-run homerun to left field that put Middle Tennessee ahead 2-1. The Blue Raiders added two more unearned runs with two outs following a Cajun infield error. Second baseman Jeff Beachum picked up an RBI on a single that scored the fourth run to put Middle Tennessee ahead 4-1.

Middle Tennessee added three more runs against Gros in the sixth inning to take a commanding six run lead. Right fielder Shane Kemp hit a solo homerun with one out in the inning. Troy Harp and Chad Cooper both added RBI's to give the Blue Raiders a 7-1 lead.

Williams retired 15 consecutive UL Lafayette batters until Brad Saloom doubled to right field to start a Cajun rally with one out in the seventh inning. First baseman Phillip Hawke hit his fourth homerun of the season to cut the Blue Raider lead to four runs. Rhett Buras and Dallas Morris continued the Cajun rally with consecutive doubles following Hawke's homerun. Buras scored on Morris's double and came around to score on ground ball error by the Middle Tennessee shortstop. Blue Raider reliever Danny Borne replaced Williams and closed out the inning with a strike out. The four run inning cut the Blue Raider lead to just two runs at 7-5.

Borne held the Cajuns scoreless for the remainder of the game to pick up his first save of the year for Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders added two more runs in the top of the ninth off Cajun reliever Thad Montgomery to make the final score 9-5.

Andy Gros (2-5) suffered the loss for the Cajuns after giving up seven runs (five earned) on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. John Williams (1-2) picked up his first win of the season for Middle Tennessee. Williams allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits through 6 2/3 innings.

Louisiana-Lafayette will try to win the best of three series tomorrow with a 1 p.m. start time here at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field. Jordy Templet (2-3, 3.38 ERA) is slated to get the start for the Cajuns against Blue Raider right-hander Jerry Knox (1-1, 3.45 ERA).