University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
New Orleans
Cajun Bats On Fire in 18-7 Win Over New Orleans
4/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Saturday, April 26, 2003
NEW ORLEANS- Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team scored ten runs in the first inning to defeat the New Orleans Privateers by a score of 18-7 in the second of a three game Sun Belt series here at Maestri Field. UL Lafayette (19-25) wins their fourth straight game and improves to 10-7 in conference play, while New Orleans (20-23) falls to 4-10 in the conference.
UL Lafayette scored a season high in runs for the second consecutive game, ten of the runs coming in the first inning alone. The Cajuns scored 18 runs on 22 hits and now have 45 hits in just two games against New Orleans. Corey Coles continued his hot hitting with a 4 for 6 performance and tied a single game record at UL Lafayette with three homeruns.
Louisiana-Lafayette got things started early in a big way with a ten run explosion right out of the gate in the first inning. Every Cajun hitter in the batting order reached base safely before any outs were made. Left fielder Corey Coles started the scoring with a two run single to right field. A Phillip Hawke double with runners on second and third plated two more runs to give the Cajuns a 4-0 lead. UNO starter Chris Bourgeois left the game with no outs in the inning and his team trailing 6-0 following a two run homerun by Cajun catcher Ryan Core. Right-fielder Kevin Preau scored the seventh run from third on a wild pitch by UNO reliever David Gray after reaching base on a single and third baseman Dallas Morris drove in another run on a fielder's choice ground ball. Corey Coles wrapped up the scoring in his second at bat of the inning with a two-run bomb over the right field wall.
With a 10-0 lead the Cajun offense continued the scoring by adding two runs in the second inning and single runs in each the third and fourth innings. Ryan Core and shortstop Ray Dees both drove in runs in the second inning. Corey Coles hit his second homerun of the game with one-out and no one on base in the third inning and Ray Dees added his second RBI on a double in the fourth inning.
Trailing 14-0, the Privateers scored two runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning on a two run homerun by designated hitter Chris Adams. New Orleans scored five more runs in the next five innings to cut into the Cajun lead. UNO center fielder Joe Pietro led the Privateer attack with three hits, a run scored and one driven in.
The Cajuns picked up a run in the sixth inning and capped the game with a three run ninth inning. Coles led off the ninth inning with his third homerun of the game to right field. Justin Morgan and Brad Saloom drove in the final runs of the game on sacrifice flies to make it 18-7.
The Ragin' Cajun bats overshadowed a solid pitching performance by starting pitcher Jordy Templet. Templet (6-3) won his third straight conference game by holding the Privateers to just five runs (three earned) on nine hits in six 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked just one. Cajun relief pitcher Thad Montgomery held New Orleans to just two runs (none earned) in the final 2 1/3 innings.
New Orleans starting pitcher Chris Bourgeois (2-5) suffers the loss after surrendering six runs (five earned) on five hits after leaving the game with no outs in the first inning.
Corey Coles ties a school record with three homeruns in one game after going deep in the first, third, and ninth innings and led the offense with four hits, four runs scored, and six RBI's. First baseman Phillip Hawke also had four hits and drove in two runs with three scored. The Cajuns had six other hitters with multiple hits including Ray Dees and Kevin Preau with three each.
UL Lafayette is now 10-7 in the Sun Belt and will go for the series sweep tomorrow at 1 pm here at Maestri Field, where the Cajuns have yet to swept UNO. Junior left-hander Austin Faught (3-3, 4.54 ERA) will get the start on the mound for Louisiana-Lafayette to finish the series.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
