University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Arkansas State
Cajuns Cruise Past Arkansas State
3/31/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
LAFAYETTE-Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team downed Arkansas State 10-1 in their Sun Belt Conference home opener Friday night at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field. With the win the Cajuns improve to 13-11 on the season and 2-2 in SBC play.
The Cajuns put together an all-around effort in their home conference opener. UL used dominant pitching and solid hitting to hold the Indians at bay.
Sophomore starter Hunter Moody picked up his fourth win of the season throwing the second complete game of his career. The sophomore pitched a complete game against Texas A&M on March 11 in San Antonio leading the Cajuns to a 7-1.
Friday night, the southpaw allowed only one run, scattering seven hits on the night. The one run Moody allowed was a solo homerun in the eighth inning. The homer was the first that the sophomore has allowed this season. He struck out only three batters, but allowed only one free pass on the night.
Moody was aided by the Cajuns offense scored 10 runs on 11 hits on the night. Four Ragin' Cajuns batters had multiple hits, including Josh Landry whose bases loaded triple in the fifth inning broke the game wide open for the Cajuns. Landry finished the night with a pair of hits, two runs scored and four runs batted in.
Devon Bourque, Jefferies Tatford and Alex Preciado all had two hits for the Cajuns. Bourque scored a run and drove in a pair, while Tatford scored two and drove in one run. Preciado, in his first game back after being struck with a ball in the face against McNeese State on March 15, had an RBI single and a double on the night.
Freshman Scott Hawkins led the Cajuns with three runs scored on the night. The designated hitter had one hit, but drew two base-on-balls.
Hawkins led off the second with a walk. He advanced to second on a delayed steal and reached third as Tatford singled to right field. Landry plated Hawkins as he singled through the left side. Tatford and Landry advanced on a passed ball. Bourque laced an RBI single to centerfield to plate Tatford. John McCarthy singled up the middle to score Landry and give the Cajuns a 3-0 advantage.
The Cajuns extended their lead in the third inning. Hawkins singled to leftfield to reach base and advanced to second base as the Indians' leftfielder mishandled the ball. Following a Grant Derouen walk, Tatford singled to centerfield to plate Hawkins.
With the score 4-0, the Cajuns broke the game open in the fifth inning. With one out, the Arkansas State pitcher walked three consecutive batters to load the bases for UL. Landry lined a triple to left-centerfield to clear the bases and give the Cajuns a 7-0 edge. The senior came around to score as Bourque singled up the middle. Bourque stole second to move into scoring position. Following a McCarthy walk, Jameson Parker reached on a fielder's choice. As the ASU second baseman tried to complete the double play, his throw was in the dirt allowing for Bourque to come around from third and score. Parker advanced to second base courtesy of his 10th stolen base of the season. Jonathan Lucroy singled to right field and moved Parker to third. Preciado singled through the right side, scoring Parker. The Cajuns finished the inning scoring six runs on four hits and one Indian error.
The score would remain 10-0 until the top of the eighth inning. Arkansas State's Michael Williams, Jr. hit a solo homerun to left field to end the shutout. The run would be the only run the Cajuns would allow on the night.
The Cajuns and Indians return to action on Saturday for game two of the three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. and the game will be televised on KLAF UPN 17 in Lafayette.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
