University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns Impressive in Sweep of Louisiana Tech
2/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Cajuns
Impressive in Sweep of Louisiana Tech
UL off to 3-0
start for the first time since 2001
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns pounded 22 hits on Saturday afternoon en route to a doubleheader sweep (9-3, 10-5) of Louisiana Tech at Moore Field.
Louisiana (3-0) scored 29 runs in the sweep of Tech (3-3). In addition, the Cajuns added 11 hits in each game of the series.
The Cajuns captured game one by a final of 9-3 thanks to five runs in the first three innings. All nine of the Cajuns starters reached base and eight had at least one hit, while starter Austin Faught allowed just one run through six innings.
UL used seven runs in the first three innings of the twinbill's second game to ease to a 10-5 decision. After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first, Louisiana stormed back with five run in the bottom half of the inning to take back the lead for good.
Faught was the story in the first game, making his long-awaited return to the mound after undergoing shoulder surgery a year ago.
Faught's last start came at Nebraska on May 4, 2003. In that appearance, Faught went 4 2/3 innings allowing one run on four hits with two strikeouts. In the top half of the first, Faught gave up a lead-off single to Brandon Haygood, but Haygood was later picked-off attempting to steal second. Faught retired the next two Bulldogs batters to end the inning.
Game one also featured the debut of junior infielder Jameson Parker, who sat out last season with a hand injury. In the bottom of the first, Parker drew a one-out walk. Josh Landry followed with an RBI triple to right center field, scoring Parker, to give the Cajuns an early 1-0 lead. Landry later scored on a Dallas Morris' sacrifice fly to right field, giving the home team a 2-0 advantage.
In the bottom of the third, John Coker hit a lead-off single to center field and later stole second. Parker drove him home with a chopping single to give the Cajuns a 3-0 lead. Parker then stole second. After Landry struck out, Morris reached on an error by LT third baseman Ryan Hamilton. Then, Morris and Parker combined for a double steal. Following a Hawke walk, John McCarthy sent a sacrifice fly to right to plate Parker. Cockrell then singled through the left side to plate Morris, giving the Cajuns a 5-0 advantage.
Tech scored their first run in 14 innings off the Cajuns in the top of the fifth. Gil Laird's solo homerun over the pine trees in right field cut the Cajuns' lead to 5-1.
The Cajuns added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth to increase their lead to 8-1. Landry walked and stole second before scoring on a McCarthy RBI single. Cockrell doubled to plate McCarthy and later scored on an RBI single by Jeffries Tatford.
Jered Salazar worked two solid innings following Faught. The senior right-hander allowed just one hit while striking out a pair of Bulldogs.
In game two, Louisiana Tech got to freshman starter Buddy Glass for a pair of runs in the top of the first. Glass pitched his way out of a bases loaded jam by striking out two Bulldogs.
Louisiana responded in the bottom of the first with five runs.
Parker singled up the middle and Landry followed with a double off second baseman Haygood's glove. Morris scored both Parker and Landry with a single to right, tying the game at 2-2. Morris rounded first too far and was picked off. Phillip Hawke followed with a walk and McCarthy singled to left. Micah Cockrell smacked a double to left scoring both Hawke and McCarthy. Tatford made it 5-2 Cajuns with a single that scored Cockrell.
Glass ran into more trouble in the second, allowing two more runs on two hits, one walk and a wild pitch. C.J. Blue relieved Glass with two outs in the second and recorded the final out.
Blue pitched an impressive game, throwing five and one-third innings, allowing one run on two hits to pick-up his first career win.
UL pushed their lead to 7-4 with two runs in the bottom of the third.
The Cajuns loaded the bases with one out for Tatford. Hawke singled before McCarthy and Cockrell walked. Tatford then slapped a singe to right, scoring Hawke, and scoring McCarthy after the right fielder bobbled the ball.
The Cajuns lead grew to 10-4 with three runs in the sixth. Justin Morgan doubled to lead off the inning. Morgan then scored after Coker's sacrifice bunt was thrown into right field by catcher Jonathan Yerby. Coker came around to score on a single by Landry. Hawke's towering double to left center scored Landry to push the Cajuns run total to double figures for the second time in the series.
Next up for Louisiana is a trip to Sam Houston State on Wednesday before retuning home next weekend for the Louisiana-Lafayette Invitational featuring Southern, St. John's and Northwestern State.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
