University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
* South Alabama
Five Homeruns Not Enough
5/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MOBILE, Ala.-Despite banging out five homeruns in the game, the Cajuns couldn't solve the University of South Alabama Jaguars. The Jags took game one of the series by a 10-8 final after pulling three runs across in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Guillermo Martinez reached on a sharply hit ball to third and stole second with one gone in the bottom of the eighth. Martinez took third on a wild pitch as Louisiana-Lafayette was intentionally walking Adam Lind. Josh Touchstone singled to score Martinez knotting the game at eight.
The Cajuns surrendered a pair of runs to the Jaguars on a Quendon Montgomery single and a pair of errors that allowed Martinez and Touchstone to score.
Justin Rayborn won the game for USA after coming in to pitch the final one and two-thirds inning. Justin Rayborn (2-3) allowed only two hits without surrendering a run.
Kraig Schambough surrendered three runs on four hits through three and one-thirds innings in the losing effort. Schambough (6-3) was charged with two earned runs while striking out five.
Rhett Buras gave Louisiana-Lafayette an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first with his sixth homerun of the season. Buras stroked his homerun to center after Josh Landry singled up the middle with one gone in the inning. Landry moved to third on Phillip Hawke's single through the right side.
Kevin Ardoin issued a walk to Brad Gordon to start the USA half of the first. Touchstone advanced the baserunner to second with a two-out single to left; but Ardoin would get Montgomery gazing at strike three to retire the Jaguars.
Jansen Rayborn pulled USA to within one in the bottom of the second with a homerun that came after Justin Harawah singled to left
Justin Bourque and Ryan Core went back-to-back with a pair of homeruns in the top of the third giving the Cajuns a 5-2 lead.
Jansen Rayborn and Tim Land both singled with one gone in the inning.
South Alabama skipper Steve Kittrell was ejected after an animated argument with firstbase umpire Steve Dew on a double-play call that got the Cajuns out of the fourth.
USA starter PJ Walters retired the Cajuns in order in the top of the fifth.
A five run fifth inning was started for the home team when Adam Lind went the opposite way for a double, driving in a run for the Jags in the frame. Lind's RBI double came after Gordon again drew a walk, this time in the inning. Gordon took second on an infield groundout.
A Touchstone single to right put runners on the corners. Harawah doubled to center to drive in the two tying the game at five.
Jansen Rayborn drove in the go-ahead run with an infield single. The Jag's sixth run chased Ardoin in favor of Kraig Schambough. Land put USA up 7-5 with a double off the wall in center that scored Rayborn. Schambough hit Guillermo Martinez with a pitch and walked Gordon to load the bases. Schambough struck out Secchiari to put an end to the inning.
Hawke tied the game at seven with a two-run shot that came after Landry singled to center.
Schambough sat the Jags in order in the bottom of the seventh.
Cockrell hit a solo shot over the wall in left to give the Ragin' Cajuns an 8-7 lead. Cockrell's homerun closed the book on Walters who was lifted for Justin Rayborn.
UL Lafayette and South Alabama will play tomorrow at 4 p.m. and wrap up the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
