University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
* South Alabama
Louisiana-Lafayette Explodes To Outpace Jags
5/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Mobile, Ala.- South Alabama committed five miscues in the field that proved to be quite costly Saturday afternoon at Stanky Field. Louisiana-Lafayette erupted for a seven runs in the eighth inning en route to the 14-6 win. UL Lafayette (31-20, 11-10) returned to their winning ways by pounding out fifteen hits including a solo shot from Rhett Buras in the second and a Brad Saloom grand slam in the eighth.
Justin Bourque and Ryan Core started the eighth with a pair of singles. Kevin Preau reached on an error that scored Bourque. Micah Cockrell drew a walk to load the bases before John Coker took first on a fielder's choice, keeping the pad juiced.
Brad Saloom, who came in as a replacement for an injured Justin Merendino cleared the bases with a grand slam to the deepest spot at Stanky Field. Saloom's slam gave the Ragin' Cajuns a 12-1 lead and prompted an appearance from USA reliever Chase Christenson.
Josh Landry greeted the new hurler with a triple down the left field line. Phillip Hawke plated the baserunner with a double to left to put the Cajuns on top 13-1.
Hawke scored on Bourque's second single of the inning.
Patrick Green (5-2) accepted the win allowing only one earned run on five hits while fanning five Jaguars.
Joey Doan (4-7) took today's loss after allowing six earned runs on nine hits through four and one-thirds innings pitched.
Doan retired the top of the Cajuns lineup in order in the top of the first inning.
Green walked Brad Gordon on four straight offerings to start the bottom of the first frame. Gordon took second on a passed ball. An infield groundout put the runner on third with two down before Green stopped a line drive hit back to the mound to retire the Jaguars in the first.
Rhett Buras homered to lead off the second inning giving the Cajuns an early 1-0 advantage.
Preau picked up another second-inning RBI, grounding into a fielder's choice after a pair of singles from Bourque and Core put runners on first and third. Preau's grounder plated Bourque to give Louisiana-Lafayette a 2-0 lead.
A two-base fielding error that put Adam Lind on first cost the Cajuns a run in the bottom of the third. The run came after Clark Secchiari singled into center with two gone and stole second.
Hawke doubled to the wall to start the fourth and scored when Buras doubled down the third base line. An infield groundout moved the runner 90-feet from home. Core picked up the RBI with a single to right to give UL Lafayette a 4-1 lead.
Landry singled to second just after Merendino suffered a knee injury at the plate and was lifted to start the fifth. Hawke singled to left and took second when Josh Touchstone overthrew the ball into the Jaguars' dugout. The error allowed Landry to cross the plate.
Buras continued to scorch the ball, knocking another double into the corner in left to score Hawke from second. After Buras' double South Alabama elected to go with Bert Heath out of the bullpen.
Bourque grounded out to short, but advanced Buras to third in the process.
Another USA error allowed Core to take first and scored Buras to give the Cajuns a 7-1 lead.
The Jaguars picked up five runs in the bottom of the eighth on a five base hits and a couple of Cajuns errors. Jered Salazar saw action after Coach Tony Robichaux initially went with Jeff Morgan to relieve Green. Salazar allowed a runner left in scoring position to score, but got the Cajuns out of the inning.
Daniel Roberts and Salazar finished the game for their respective squads holding the scoreboard at 14-6 in favor of Louisiana-Lafayette.
The Cajuns and Jaguars will tangle again tomorrow in the rubber match of the series at 1 p.m. from Stanky Field. Both teams will then prepare for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, which begins Wednesday here in Mobile.
