University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
New Mexico State
Green Tosses Complete Game To Knock Off New Mexico State
5/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MOBILE, Ala.-Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns stayed alive in the 2004 Dodge Sun Belt Conference with a Friday afternoon win over the New Mexico State. Louisiana-Lafayette hurler Patrick Green went all nine innings in the 7-3 contest. With the win the Cajuns improve to 33-22 overall and 2-1 in this year's tournament.
Green (6-2) allowed three runs on eight hits while fanning 10 in the complete game win.
The loss went to New Mexico State's Jason Conner. Conner (4-4) surrendered five runs on five hits through the first two and one-thirds innings of the game.
The Cajuns claimed an early 2-0 lead on a Brad Saloom base hit off of Conner. Saloom singled through the right side after Justin Merendino led off in the first with a single and moved to third on a Josh Landry double.
Green retired the top of the NMSU lineup in order in the bottom of the opening frame.
The Cajuns picked up three runs in the top of the third when John Coker reached base on a Gavin Monjaras throwing error. Coker swiped second and stole third on a strikeout. Josh Landry singled in the run with a flare to center.
Landry stole second before Saloom drew a walk. Rhett Buras singled to load the bases forcing NMSU coach Rocky Ward to make a pitching change. Joseph Hampel became the new Aggies hurler.
Hampel surrendered a sacrifice fly to Kevin Preau scoring Landry from third to give UL Lafayette a 4-0 lead.
Ryan Core kept the inning alive for Louisiana-Lafayette when he drew a walk to load the bases again for the Cajuns. Hampel's first offering to Phillip Hawke was in the dirt and bounced to the backstop allowing Saloom to cross the plate.
Louisiana-Lafayette threatened to add more runs in the top of the fourth. Micah Cockrell started the inning with a walk and advanced on a wild pitch. A fly out to center moved the runner to third with two down. Landry walked putting Cajuns on the corners. Saloom hit the ball on the button to center, but it stayed in the park as the fielder made the catch four out number three on the wall.
Mark Aranda and Adrian Ballesteros hit back-to-back singles with two outs in the bottom of the fourth before Green came back to strikeout NMSU designated hitter Emory Davies.
Sport Voorhies singled in Core who reached second base on a fielder's choice as Buras was caught in a rundown. Voorhies' base hit put the Cajuns up 6-0.
Coker started the sixth with a double off the wall in center but Hampel came back to get the next three Cajuns in a row to get out of the inning.
Dustin Mote got the Aggies on the board with a solo homerun that opened the bottom of the sixth.
Voorhies took Hampel deep and gone to start the top of the eighth giving UL Lafayette a 7-1 lead. Voorhies' longball chased Hampel in favor of J.T. Severe.
Severe started his outing by issuing a free pass to Cockrell who was later caught stealing by Aggies catcher Mark Keller. Severe retired the next two Cajuns holding the score at 7-1.
NMSU got a run in the bottom of the eighth when a pair of singles from Chris Ewen and Mote put Aggies on the corners with no outs in the inning. Xardiel Cotto hit a sacrifice fly ball to left scoring Ewen bringing the score to 7-2.
Green surrendered a solo homerun to Aranda pulling the Aggies to within four at 7-3.
The Cajuns will again have to face the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in tonight's tournament action turnaround game scheduled for 6:30 p.m. UL Lafayette will need two wins over MTSU in order to advance to the final round.
