Lamar Edges Cajuns in Ninth Inning

Tuesday, March 23

MOORE FIELD

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

LAMAR

3/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

March 23, 2004

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LAFAYETTE-A wild pitch in the top of the ninth inning was the difference in the ball game as the Lamar Cardinals clipped the Cajuns with a 4-3 win Tuesday night at Moore Field.

Jered Salazar was in line for the loss as the go-ahead runner was his.
Salazar (1-2) pitched one inning giving up two runs on two hits while
walking two.

Kyle Stutes picked up the win for Lamar as the Cardinals improve to 18-6 on the season. Stutes (4-0) entered the game in relief and threw one and one-thirds innings surrendering a hit and a walk while fanning two.

Jon Hunton picked up his sixth save on the season for Lamar stopping a Cajuns rally in the ninth.

Thad Montgomery entered the game to pitch for the Cajuns in the top of
inning nine inheriting Lamar's John Allen who walked to reach first.

Austin-Emmons bunted a single that put baserunners at first and second. Jeremy Gray moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. The Cardinals scored on a wild pitch bringing the score to 4-3.

Justin Merendino reached on an error to start the bottom of the first before Josh Landry brought him around to score giving the Cajuns the early 1-0 edge with a triple to centerfield. Landry tagged up and scored on a Phillip Hawke sacrifice fly to left to give Louisiana-Lafayette a 2-0 lead.

UL Lafayette starter Ian Pecoraro put away the Cardinals' side in order in
the second and third innings.

Trey Rinando took over in relief of Cardinals starting pitcher Chris
Buechner in the bottom of the third. Rinando retired the top of the Cajuns
lineup.

In the top of the fourth, Lamar left fielder Jordan Foster singled to left
before scoring on a Ryan Finan double to the gap in left center. Adrian
Cantu walked to put runners on first and second, but Pecoraro pitched out of the inning using his strikeout pitch to get the last out in the half of the inning.

Micah Cockrell assisted on all three outs in the top of the sixth as
Pecoraro induced the 6-3 putout to get the heart of the Lamar order.

Phillip Hawke doubled to right-center with one gone for the Cajuns in the
bottom of the sixth before Bourque knocked a flare that fell for a single to
put runners on the corners. Jason Rodriguez was plunked by a pitch to load the bases.

Scott Vanderwag came in to pitch for Ben Cox who earlier relieved Rinando. Vanderwag issued a walk to Adam Massiatte bringing in the third run of the night for the Cajuns.

Vanderwag struck out the next batter to strand a runner at each base.

Brandt Sanders came on for Pecoraro who issued a walk to Cantu to start the top of the seventh. Sanders hit the first batter he faced to put runners on first and second. Lamar pulled one across the plate when John-Austin Emmons singled to right center bringing the score to 3-2.

Merendino opened the bottom of the seventh with a walk and a swipe of second base. The Cardinals countered Hawke's left-handed bat with left-handed hurler Stutes. The new Cardinals pitcher lost Hawke on four straight balls putting Cajuns on first and second, but got out of the inning on a fly ball out to right keeping the game a 3-2 event.

Salazar, seeing his first action since March 10, came in to work the eighth on the mound for Louisiana-Lafayette.

Foster hit a single to third base and Finan took ball four on a 3-1 count,
putting runners on first and second to start the inning. Salazar struckout
the next two batters he faced but surrendered a single to Michael Ambort that scored a run, tying the game at three.

The Cajuns threatened in the bottom of the eighth, but could not muster a go ahead run as Stutes stuck out two in the inning.

Jon Hunton came on in the closer role for Lamar and surrendered a pair of singles to Landry and Dallas Morris. Hunton would; however, get help from a double-play to get out of the inning.

Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns will open Sun Belt Conference play this weekend at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field against the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky. Friday night's game will start at 6:30 p.m. with Saturday's contest set for 2 p.m. The series will wrap up Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.