University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Wichita State
Cajuns Stumble Again Late at No. 9 Wichita State
3/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 6,
2004
Wichita, Kan.- For the second straight game, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns blew a lead in falling to No. 9 Wichita State 12-6 on Saturday afternoon. UL Lafayette led 5-1 after five innings, but surrendered three runs in the sixth, one in the seventh and seven in the eighth.
UL Lafayette will try to salvage the final game of the series on Sunday at 1pm. The Cajuns will throw right-hander Josh Kohrs, while the Shockers will counter with fellow righty Mathew Jakubov.
UL Lafayette again received an excellent outing from its starter, only to see a no-decision. Kraig Schambough pitched well, scattering 10 hits in five and one-third innings, allowing four runs. He exited with a 5-2 lead.
In the first two games of the series, Cajuns hitters touched-up two very talented WSU starters for seven runs on nine hits in nine innings. Shockers relievers combined to limit UL Lafayette to just three hits over nine innings in two games.
The Cajuns built a large lead off Shockers starter Steve Uhlmansiek, but were shut down by Kyle Banick and Jerome Foster.
Foster (1-0) picked-up the win, while Thad Montgomery (1-1) took the loss.
The Cajuns picked-up a run on Uhlmansiek in the first. Justin Merendino singled to left and moved to third on a single to right by Josh Landry. Dallas Morris plated Merendino with a sacrifice fly to right.
WSU threatened in their portion of the first. Schambough allowed runners on first and second, but escaped unharmed after John Coker made a spectacular running catch against the right-centerfield wall.
Schambough pitched out of another jam, as the Shockers loaded the bases with two out in the second. Nick Blasi popped out to Merendino to keep the hosts scoreless.
Drew Moffitt touched Schambough for a solo home run in the third to tie the score at 1-1.
The Cajuns took back the lead in the top of the fourth in part to a three-run homerun by Brad Saloom. Rhett Buras and Justin Bourque singled before Saloom left the building. With two away, Kevin Preau beat-out an infield shot to deep short. Preau advanced to second on a balk, and then came around to score on a Coker RBI single to right.
WSU stranded two more runners in the fifth. Mark Johnson lined out to Dallas Morris to end the threat. The Shockers stranded seven runners through the first five innings.
The Shockers started their comeback in the sixth.
Back-to-back doubles by Derek Schermerhorn and Joe Muich cut the Cajuns lead to 5-2. A single by Nick McCoola put runners at the corners with one out and chased Schambough in favor of Jeff Morgan.
Morgan walked Kenny Waddell to load the bases. Blasi's infield single scored Muich before a sacrifice fly by Logan Sorenson plated McCoola to pull WSU within 5-4.
WSU tied the game in the seventh on back-to-back hits to start the inning. Mark Johnson started the inning with a single to right and scored on a double to left by Brandon Green.
The Shockers took the lead in the eighth.
Sorenson singled before Montgomery walked Moffitt. Johnson lined a double off the left field wall to score a pair of Shockers and give WSU a 7-5 lead.
Green followed with a triple to score Johnson and remove Montgomery from the game. Ian Pecoraro surrendered a double to Muich that helped Johnson cross the plate.
After Pecoraro walked McCoola to load the bases, Wadell reached first on a fielder's choice that scored Muich. Blasi singled to score two more Shockers and give the hosts a 12-5 lead.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
