University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
New Mexico State
Cajuns Take Both In Doubleheader, Complete Sweep
4/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
LAFAYETTE-Fireworks in Saturday's first game of a doubleheader lifted the Cajuns to a 13-4 win over New Mexico State Aggies. The explosion continued in the nightcap as the Cajuns completed their sweep over the Aggies of New Mexico State by a score of 9-5.
Ian Pecoraro tossed the first six and one-thirds scattering three hits (two earned) that came off of six hits. Pecoraro (2-1) fanned five NMSU batters in the outing earning the win in game one.
Jason Perkins got the loss in game one throwing two innings surrendering six runs on six hits while walking five.
Xardiel Cotto walked to start the first before Kevin Preau robbed Peter Arroyo of extra bases on a spectacular catch in right-center. Josh Landry made an other outstanding catch for the second out in the top of the inning before a heads up throw back from Pecoraro to second base caught Cotto who failed to tag the bag on his way back to first after an attempt to advance.
Josh Landry walked with one gone in the bottom of the first. Landry advanced on a groundout to second. Perkins balked to move Landry 90 feet closer to homeplate before Phillip Hawke doubled down the leftfield line to give the Cajuns a 1-0 lead.
Dallas Morris added to that lead with a two-run shot that left the yard over the wall in left-center.
Mark Aranda singled up the middle and Emory Davies walked to put Aggies on first and second. A fielder's choice put runners on the corners with two outs. A walk loaded the bases before a fielding error brought a run home for NMSU.
Preau walked to start he bottom of the third before Micah Cockrell homered to put the Cajuns ahead by a 5-1 count. John Coker drew a walk before advancing on a wild pitch and stealing third. Landry plated Coker on a groundout to the first base side.
The Aggies threatened but didn't score in the top of the third when Peter Arroyo started the inning with a double to left-center. Billy Becher moved the runner to third with a groundout to short. Preau fielded a fly out in right and gunned Arroyo down at home in an attempt to tag up.
The Cajuns put runners on in the third and fourth but NMSU turned a double play in each inning to avert further run damage.
Chris Ewen singled to the left side and Cotto walked to put runners on first and second. Arroyo doubled down the leftfield line to score a run and leave runners on second and third. Becher hit a sac fly out to left scoring another bringing the score to 6-3.
Pecoraro retired the Aggies in order in the top of the fourth.
Justin Merendino and Landry both singled to start the inning. Justin Bourque bunted his way on loading the bases for Hawke who singled to short scoring two more.
Preau led off the bottom of the sixth with a homerun to give Louisiana-Lafayette a 9-3 lead.
The next batter in the inning, Cockrell, was hit by Coppinger's first offering before Coker drew a walk. Merendino put down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. Cockrell scored on a wild pitch before Landry singled in Coker to give bring the score to 11-3 in favor of Louisiana-Lafayette.
Jeff Morgan came on in relief of Pecoraro with two baserunners on and one out in the top of the seventh. Morgan got the next two outs in order to retire the New Mexico State side.
The Cajuns tacked on one more in the seventh on a groundout to short after Morris tripled to right-center.
The Cajuns scored another runs on Landry's single to center in the bottom of the eighth.
The Aggies loaded the bases in the and got one run in the top of the ninth as Morgan induced ground balls to end the game.
In game two, Louisiana-Lafayette continued the offensive showcase exploding for nine runs off of 11 hits including three homeruns from Hawke, Morris and Core.
Cajuns starter for game two Jered Salazar got the win pitching five and two-thirds giving up four runs on seven hits while fanning seven.
The loss went to Jason Conner who was touched up for five runs on seven hits through two innings of work.
Cotto tripled to start the game before scoring on an Arroyo single to left.
Davies doubled with one gone in the top of the second and took third on a passed ball. The Aggies made it 2-0 on a Mark Keller RBI single to left.
Hawke cut the lead in half with his ninth homerun of the season. Hawke's solo shot left the yard over the wall in right-center.
The Cajuns tied the game and claimed the lead in the bottom of the second when Morris doubled up the middle and scored on Preau's double to right. Preau was lifted for pinch runner Leonard Guerrero after rounding first base awkwardly and hobbling into second. Cockrell singled to left and took two bases on a fielding error driving in Guerrero.
The Cajuns broke the game open in the bottom of the third as Landry tripled and scored on a throwing error by NMSU. Justin Bourque doubled to left-center which prompted a pitching change for the Aggies. J.T. Severe came in to face Morris who singled to center scoring Bourque. Ryan Core homered with Morris on base to give UL Lafayette a 7-2 lead.
Morris added a run in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homerun that made the score 8-2.
Aranda hit a homerun of his own in the top of the sixth before a Salazar offering plunked Balesteros. Davies doubled off the wall in center scoring Balesteros to cgut the Cajuns lead in half at 8-4.
Kraig Schambough came on to pitch in relief of Salazar and got the final out in the inning.
Brian Gausman came in to work in the bottom of the sixth and walked Coker on a full count. Coker advanced two bases on a wild pitch and a steal. Landry drove in Coker with a double to leftfield.
Davies and Monjaras singled to put runners on first and second with no outs in the top of the ninth. Keller singled to score a run for NMSU. Jason Rodriguez entered the game to play right field after Coker was injured on the play.
UL Lafayette would hold on to retire the last three in the game to complete the sweep.
The Cajuns will travel to Lake Charles Tuesday to play the McNeese State Cowboys in a 7:00 p.m. game.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
