University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
NICHOLLS STATE
Cajuns Topple Nicholls 11-6
3/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 10,
2004
LAFAYETTE-A five-run second inning helped propel the Cajuns to an 11-6 win over in-state rival Nicholls. The Cajuns improved to 8-5 on the season.
Thad Montgomery picked up the win for the Cajuns after coming on in relief of Jered Salazar. Montgomery (2-1) pitched 3 and one-third innings allowing two earned runs and striking out six.
Mark Fernandez pitched two and one-thirds innings allowing two runs on hit while walking three and taking the loss for Nicholls.
Justin Merendino put UL Lafayette on the board early when he doubled to the left side to start the bottom of the first. Josh Landry reached on an error, which scored Merendino giving the Cajuns an early 1-0 lead.
Jake Ritchie drew a walk on a full count to start the second for the Colonels before Bubba Bell singled to right. Dustin Roddy hit a seeing-eye single up the middle to tie the game at one apiece.
Jason Rodriguez slapped a single to center with one gone in the bottom of the third and came around to score on Micah Cockrell's double to the center field wall. Cockrell advanced to third on a ground out to first before Merendino walked to put the runners on the corners. Landry plated Cockrell on a single up the middle, bringing the score to 3-1. The next batter Dallas Morris knocked his third homerun of the season. The three-run shot cleared the basepads and gave the Cajuns a 6-1 lead while chasing starter Shawn Leblanc in favor of Mark Fernandez.
Fernandez issued a walk to Philip Hawke. Justin Bourque reached on an infield error that sent Hawke to third, but Fernandez snuck out of the inning with a ground out to second.
Ritchie opened the fourth reaching first after being hit by a pitch and reached second on a comebacker to the pitcher. Salazar fielded the ball awkwardly and had to leave the game. Reliever Thad Montgomery took over pitching duties on the mound.
Josh Clement walked putting runners at first and third, but Montgomery would cruise through the next two batters retiring both via the strikeout.
Landry walked with no outs in the fourth just before Morris smashed his second homerun of the contest deep to left. Morris's two-run homer gave the Cajuns an 8-1 lead.
Rodriguez reached on an error to first before Micah Cockrell went deep to score two more for the home team. Coker hit a bloop single to center and advanced on a wild pitch by new Colonel pitcher, Neal Cannon. Coker crossed the plate on a Merendino shot to the wall in left center to give the Cajuns an 11-1 lead. Merendino was; however, thrown out at third on the play.
Landry singled to center and advanced to second on Hawke's hot shot single up the middle. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, but Cannon escaped further run damage on a foul out to the left side.
The Colonels would get four runs in the top of the sixth frame. Ritchie walked with one out for Nicholls before a pitch hit Bell. Montgomery issued a walk to Clement, putting a Colonels runner at each base. Catcher Dustin Roddy knocked a base hit and reached third on a fielding error bringing in three for Nicholls. Tony Ruiz drove in another for the visitors on a ground out to second bringing the score to 11-5.
Hatch advanced to third after singling to the left side on a Ritchie single to center, putting runners on the corners. Hatch scored on an error pulling the Colonels to within five. It would not be enough as the Cajuns would hold on to that lead for the rest of the game.
The Cajuns will take on the Paladins of Furman in a three-game series at Moore Field. Friday's first pitch will be thrown out at 6:30 p.m. Saturday's game is set for 2 p.m. with Sunday's season finale starting at 11:05 a.m.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
