University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Florida International*
Ragin' Cajuns Complete Sweep of FIU
4/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MIAMI-Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team collected 15 hits on the day including a season high three homeruns as UL completed the three-game conference sweep of Florida International in Miami on Sunday by a score of 14-3 in eight innings.
The Cajuns have now swept three straight conference series. UL only swept one conference series in 2005. The sweep marks the first time in school history that the Ragin' Cajuns have swept the Golden Panthers in Miami. For FIU, it marks the first time they have been swept by a conference opponent at home since they dropped three games in Miami to New Orleans in 2004.
As a team, the Ragin' Cajuns collected 15 hits on the day. Only one UL batter did not have a hit in the game, as seven Cajuns had multiple hits on the day. Six of the nine batters had at least one run batted in with four different Cajuns finished with multiple RBI. Every Ragin' Cajuns batter scored a run and four of the batters scored multiple runs.
UL hit a season high three homeruns in the game. Josh Landry, Devery Van De Keere and Scott Hawkins all had homers for the Cajuns. Landry finished the game with two hits including his first homerun of the season and a game high four RBI. Van De Keere also had a pair of hits and two runs batted in. Not to be out done, Hawkins finished the afternoon with a pair of hits and three RBI.
Starting pitcher Jason Fernandez claimed the win for the Cajuns. The right-hander pitched 5.0 innings allowing three runs on seven hits. He walked four and struck out four.
Freshman Danny Farquhar earned the save for UL. The Pembroke Pine, Fla., native allowed just one hit with two strikeouts allowing no runs in front of the hometown crowd.
In the first inning, Fernandez had trouble locating his pitches. He walked two batters and placed both of them in scoring position as he balked. The runners went no further as he closed out the inning.
The Cajuns took the lead in the top of the second inning. Jonathan Lucroy led off the inning with a bloop single over the shortstop's head. He advanced to second base as Jefferies Tatford was hit by his team leading 14th pitch of the season. Both runners advanced one base on a pair of throwing errors by Florida International. The Cajuns brought the runners home as Josh Landry hit his first homerun of the season to give UL a 3-0 lead after two and a half innings of play.
FIU cut the lead in the bottom of the inning. The Golden Panthers' Chris Dunn reached base as he collected FIU's first hit of the game. He stole second base to move into scoring position. With the hit-and-run in effect, Dunn came around to score as Danny Marquez lined a single into left field cutting the UL lead to 3-1.
The run for the Golden Panthers in the second inning was the first run of the weekend that Florida International scored that did not come by way of the long ball. Before FIU manufactured the run in the second inning, the three runs the Panthers had scored were all of solo homeruns.
The Ragin' Cajuns added a run in the top of the third inning. Devon Bourque led off the inning with a double to left centerfield. He moved to second base as Van De Keere hit a single up the middle. Bourque came around to score as the Cajuns hit into a double play.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Golden Panthers once again cut the UL lead to two runs. With two outs, Nick Cadena doubled down the left field line. He came across to score as designated hitter Kurt Crowell singled to centerfield.
With a 4-2 lead, the Cajun added some insurance runs. Alex Preciado reach base on a fielding error by the FIU second baseman. A bunt single by Landry moved Preciado to second base. Scott Hawkins hit his second homerun of his career to extend the Cajuns lead to 7-2. Another error allowed Jameson Parker to reach base. Parker came around to score as Van De Keere hit his second homerun of the weekend. The Cajuns added five runs on three hits, including a pair of homeruns to push the lead to 9-2.
Florida International led of the fourth inning with a pair of singles. The runners effectively executed the double steal to give the Golden Panthers runners at second and third. A groundout plated a runner and cut the UL lead to 9-3.
The Ragin' Cajuns got the run back in the top of the fifth inning. Tatford led off the inning with an infield single. He advanced all the way to third base as Preciado singled up the middle of the infield. Landry hit his team leading eighth sacrifice fly to plate Tatford.
UL added a pair of runs in the seventh inning. Lucroy drew a base on balls and advanced to third base as Tatford singled down the right field line. Preciado singled through the right side to plate both baserunners and push the lead to 12-3.
The Cajuns took an 11 run lead in the eighth inning. Parker walked to lead off the inning and advanced to second as John McCarthy singled through the right side. Bourque dropped a single into left field to score Parker. A Lucroy single brought McCarthy home to score and bring the score to 14-3.
The game ended 14-3 as the Sun Belt Conference has a 10-run rule on Sunday afternoons.
The Ragin' Cajuns will look to extend their hitting streak as they return home to Lafayette on Tuesday to face Lamar. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m. at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.
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