University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
New Mexico State
Aggies Race Past Cajuns, Even Series
4/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Saturday, April 5, 2003
LAS CRUCES, N.M. -
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team fell to New
Mexico State by a score of 12-5 here at Presley Askew
Field in game two of this weekend's three game Sun Belt
series Saturday evening. UL Lafayette (12-22) drops to
4-4 in the Sun Belt, while New Mexico State (26-8)
improves to 5-3 in the conference.
New Mexico State started right-hander Dustin Cameron,
while the Cajuns countered with senior left-hander Andy Gros. Gros struggled early and left the game after
giving up seven runs on six hits with three walks
through just 1 2/3 innings.
New Mexico State took the early 3-0 lead on first
baseman Billy Becher's 19th homerun of the
season in the first inning. Becher hit the 3-run homer
against Cajun starter Andy Gros with runners on first
and second and one out in the inning.
The Aggies continued the scoring in the bottom half of
the second inning after loading the bases against Gros.
New Mexico State catcher Beau Blacken hit a grand slam
homerun over the center field wall to give the Aggies a
7-0 lead. Cajun reliever Kraig Schambough relieved Gros
following the homerun.
Ragin' Cajuns junior third baseman Dallas Morris led off
the third inning with his third homerun of the year to
to cut the Aggie lead to 7-1.
New Mexico State added one run against Schambough in the
bottom half of the third inning to extend the lead back
to seven runs at 8-1. Aggie left fielder Chris Ewen
scored from third on an Alex Borgo base hit to left
field for the eighth run of the night for New Mexico
State.
UL Lafayette loaded the bases against Cameron in the
fifth inning, but could manage only a two-out walk by
Phillip Hawke that scored Bryan Sneed from third base.
New Mexico State responded with one run in the bottom
half of the fifth inning against Schambough to make it a
9-2 ballgame. Aggie second baseman Brad Ditter singled
up the middle to score Chris Ewen from third.
The Cajuns rallied to score three runs in the seventh
inning after Dallas Morris led off the inning with a
double to right field. Morris came around to score on a
ground ball out off the bat of Bryan Sneed after getting
to third on a passed ball. Consecutive singles by Corey Coles and Rhett Buras marked the end of the night for
Aggie starter Dustin Cameron. Cajun second baseman Brad Saloom drove in two more runs with a single to center
field off Aggie reliever Andrew Garretson. Saloom's
single put the Cajuns within four runs at 9-5.
New Mexico State scored three insurance runs off Cajun
reliever Thad Montgomery in the eighth inning. Aggie
first baseman Billy Becher hit his second homerun of the
night to lead off the inning. The Aggies added two more
runs on sacrifice fly outs to make the final margin
12-5.
Cameron (5-1) picks up the win for New Mexico State
after throwing 6 1/3 innings and allowing five runs
(three earned) on nine hits. Gros (2-6) suffers the loss
for the Cajuns.
The series will conclude with game three tomorrow at 2
p.m. (CST) here at Presley Askew Field. Right-hander
Jordy Templet (3-3, 3.42 ERA) will make the start on the
mound for UL Lafayette against New Mexico State
left-hander Christian Jackson (2-0, 6.94 ERA).
-Ragin' Cajuns-
