University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Arkansas State
Cajuns Rally To Complete Series Sweep of Indians
5/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sunday, May 11, 2003
JONESBORO, Ark. - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team completes their second straight conference sweep on the road with a 3-2 comeback win against the Arkansas State Indians. The Ragin' Cajuns scored two runs in the eighth inning to take the lead and held on to win their fifth straight game.
UL Lafayette (27-26) improves to 14-7 in the Sun Belt, while Arkansas State (22-27) falls to 8-12 in the conference.
Louisiana-Lafayette senior left-hander Andy Gros (6-6) picks up his fourth straight win after going 8 1/3 innings and allowing just two runs on eight hits with two strikeouts.
Corey Coles came in with one out in the ninth inning and picked up his second save of the year to give the Ragin' Cajuns the sweep.
Arkansas State scored first on a solo-shot by left fielder Blake Denischuk that cleared the left field wall with one out in the fourth inning. The homerun snapped a streak of 22 consecutive innings pitched without an earned run allowed by Gros.
The Indians added another run in the sixth inning to take a 2-0 lead. Lead off hitter Neal Chambers hit a sacrifice fly that scored Blake Denischuk from third to give ASU a two run cushion.
ASU starter Karnie Vertz held the Cajuns scoreless on just one hit through the first six innings before the Cajuns finally broke through and scored one run in the seventh inning to cut the lead to one run.
Consecutive singles by Bryan Sneed and Phillip Hawke put runners on first and second with no outs in the inning before Ryan Core laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved both runners into scoring position with one out. A Brad Saloom ground out scored Sneed with the first Cajun run of the game. Vertz got Rhett Buras to fly out to left field to end the inning.
Louisiana-Lafayette shortstop Ray Dees doubled with one out in the eighth inning to put the tying run in scoring position. Dallas Morris reached base with the go ahead run on an infield single to third base that held Dees at second before Corey Coles singled up the middle to drive in Dees with the tying run. Phillip Hawke drove in the go ahead run with two outs in the inning to score Dallas Morris and put the Cajuns in front 3-2.
Arkansas State threatened by putting the tying run on base against Gros with one out in the ninth inning on a single by pinch hitter Brent Cramer.
Corey Coles came in to pitch from center field and got Adam Roberson to hit into a game ending double play. Roberson hit a line drive into the diving glove of Phillip Hawke at first base, who then slapped the first base bag to double up Cramer and give the Ragin' Cajuns a huge conference win.
Karnie Vertz (4-6) suffers the loss for ASU after allowing three runs on five hits in 7 1/3 innings pitched with four strikeouts.
Sophomore first baseman Phillip Hawke drove in the eventual game-winning run in the eighth inning to go with two hits on the day and Corey Coles added two hits to help lead the Cajuns offensively.
UL Lafayette has now won 12 of the last 13 games and sweeps consecutive conference road trips for the first time ever in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Cajuns will wrap up conference play as they return home to host South Alabama on May 16-18, in a series that will decide the Sun Belt Conference regular season championship.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
