University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
McNeese State
Late Inning Heroics Lift Cajuns to Victory over Cowboys
3/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Cajuns scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to edge McNeese State, 3-2.
LAFAYETTE-Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns took advantage of some McNeese State miscues to score two runs and win 3-2 on Wednesday night at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.
The Cajuns (4-1) placed two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth inning thanks to a pair of errors by the Cowboys (7-5). The Cajuns loaded the bases as Jefferies Tatford was hit by a pitch.
UL would tie the game as McNeese's Nick Buck balked in a run. Buck would hit Grant Derouen with a pitch to load the bases with no outs.
Designated hitter Devery Van De Keere lifted a ball to deep left field to score Alex Preciado on the sacrifice fly and give the Cajuns the 3-2 win.
In the top of the ninth inning with a runner on second base and the score tied at 1-1, relief pitcher Chad Beck appeared to induce a fly ball to record the second out of the inning. However, before the pitch, the home plate umpire called a balk, which advanced the runner to third base and keeping Shon Landry at bat. Landry made the most of his second opportunity, hitting a sacrifice fly to deep right center field to plate Hunter Hays and give the Cowboys a 2-1 lead setting up the Cajuns ninth inning dramatics.
Both teams pitched well on the night. The Cajuns allowed just seven hits, collected 13 strikeouts while walking three. The Cajuns did not allow an extra base hit in the game.
Freshman Danny Farquhar did not factor in the decision for the Cajuns, but pitched well for the Cajuns in his first career outing. The Pembroke Pines, Fla., native allowed one run in 5.0 innings. Farquhar walked just one while fanning seven.
Brandt Sanders entered the game in relief of Farquhar. The senior was effective pitching 2.2 innings allowing just one hit, striking out five, while walking just one.
Beck picked up the win for the Cajuns allowing one run on no hits, striking out one and walking one in 1.1 innings of relief.
Offensively for the Cajuns, John McCarthy, Josh Landry and Tatford each had a pair of hits on the night.
McCarthy continued his hot play on the year. The senior from Palos Park, Ill., collected a pair of hits and walked once. McCarthy tied the Ragin' Cajuns single game record with four stolen bases on the night.
Landry's hit in the fourth inning was the first hit for the senior since the Cajuns' game with Purdue on Feb. 24. His in-field single in the bottom of the sixth inning gave the senior his first RBI of the season.
McNeese State broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning. The Cowboys used three two-out hits to plate a runner and scratch the scoreboard.
In the sixth inning, the Cajuns tied up the game at 1-1. Tatford led off the inning with a walk to give the Cajuns a baserunner. Tatford advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Derouen. Landry plated Tatford with an infield RBI single to tie the score at one apiece.
The score would remain tied at 1-1 until the pivotal ninth inning.
The Cajuns will host the 2006 Louisiana-Lafayette Invitational on Friday, March 3 through Sunday, March 5. The Cajuns will open up the tournament against Evansville on Friday at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, UL will hit the field at 2:05 p.m. to face the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Cajuns will conclude play in the Louisiana-Lafayette Invitational on Sunday as they Cajuns take on Northwestern State at 4 p.m.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
