University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
UALR
Ninth Inning Costs Cajuns as Trojans Snap Streak
4/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.-Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team squandered a seven-run lead in the ninth inning to fall to Arkansas-Little Rock by the score of 12-11. The Trojans win snapped the Cajuns eight-game winning streak and 10-game conference winning streak.
The Ragin' Cajuns entered the bottom of the ninth with a seven-run lead. The Trojans led off the inning with a single to centerfield and moved the runner to third base on a double. With runners on second and third base, relief pitcher Danny Farquhar was able to strikeout the next batter for the first out of the inning. A single plated a pair of runners to cut the UL lead to 11-6. UALR's Jacob Stover homered over the left field foul pole to plate another pair of runners. Another Trojan's single ended Farquhar's day.
Chad Beck came into the game in relief. The first batter Beck faced flied out to centerfield for the second out of the inning. He then surrendered a walk to give the Trojans a pair of base runners. Matt King hit a homerun to left field to tie the ballgame at 11-11. Beck surrendered another walk to put the go ahead runner on base. Jon Watson entered the game to pinch run for Arkansas-Little Rock. He stole second and came around to score as Brian Asbill hit the game winning single up the middle to give the Trojans a 12-11 come-from-behind victory.
Beck took the loss for the Cajuns. He pitched a third of an inning, allowing three runs with three walks and a pair of hits. The loss was the first loss for the junior hurler since March 24 in an 8-7 loss to South Alabama.
Starter Buddy Glass did not factor into the decision. Glass went 6.2 innings allowing four runs on seven hits. He did not allow a walk and struck out five.
Offensively the Ragin' Cajuns collected 14 hits on the day including three homeruns. Devery Van De Keere, Jonathan Lucroy and Alex Preciado all went yard for UL in the first game of the doubleheader. All three batters finished the day with three hits apiece. Van De Keere led the team with 4 runs batted in, while Lucroy and Preciado both had a pair of RBI in the game.
In the first inning, the Cajuns jumped out to an early lead. John McCarthy reached base thanks to a fielding error by the Arkansas-Little Rock left fielder. He moved to third base as Devon Bourque singled through the left side. McCarthy came around to score thanks to a UALR balk. With Bourque on second base, Lucroy singled through the right side to plate the runner and extend the lead to 2-0. Lucroy moved to second base on a ground ball and came around to score on a single by Preciado. The Cajuns ended the top half of the inning leading 3-0 thanks to three hits and an error.
The Cajuns extended their lead in the second inning. Scott Hawkins drew a base on balls, the first walk for either team on the weekend. He stole second base and came around to score on an RBI single by Jameson Parker. McCarthy tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner, but the bunt was well placed and both Parker and McCarthy were safe. Van De Keere brought the two runners home with his sixth homerun of the season. Lucroy followed Van De Keere with his eighth homerun of the year. After two innings, the Cajuns led 8-0.
The back-to-back homeruns for the Cajuns were the first pair of consecutive homeruns since April 9, 2004. Josh Landry and Justin Bourque went back-to-back with a pair of homeruns at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field in a Sun Belt Conference game against New Mexico State.
The Trojans threatened in the bottom of the fourth inning. After Glass retired the first 11 batters he faced, UALR got their first base runner of the game. Jacob Stover reached base thanks to a UL error. He moved to third base as Ryan Gotcher recorded the first hit of the game for Arkansas-Little Rock. The Trojans would go no further as Glass induced a ground ball to end the inning.
For the second time in as many innings, UALR put a runner in scoring position and for the second time, the Trojans left the man stranded. With one out, Arkansas-Little Rock collected their second hit of the game, a bloop single into right field. He moved to second base on a ground out, but was unable to advance any further.
The Trojans cut the Cajuns lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Brian Asbill led off the inning with a single that hit off of the glove of Van De Keere. Glass retired the next two batters. Gotcher stepped up with one on and two outs and hit a homerun well over the 16-foot fence that surrounds the stadium cutting the lead to 8-2 after six innings of play. The homerun was the first homer allowed by Glass that was not a solo homerun.
In the Cajuns' half of the seventh inning, Lucroy led off the inning with a double to deep left centerfield. He came around to score as Jefferies Tatford hit a ball through the right side of the infield that hit off of the second baseman's glove.
The Trojans added another couple of runs off of Glass in the seventh inning. Glass surrendered a solo homerun in the seventh. For the second consecutive game that Glass has pitched, the sophomore has allowed two homeruns. A couple of hits plated another runner and cut the Cajuns lead to 9-4. The four runs allowed by Glass are the most allowed by the right hander since he surrendered four runs to Arkansas State on April 1. The four runs were all earned runs, which is the most earned runs allowed by Glass this season.
The Cajuns added an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning. Parker walked to lead off the inning. He moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt that McCarthy nearly beat out. A ground ball by Bourque moved Parker to third base. Van De Keere hit an RBI single to first base to plate Parker and increase the Cajuns lead to 10-4.
In the ninth inning, the Ragin' Cajuns added a run to extend the lead to 11-4. Preciado hit his second homerun of the season. The left fielder left no doubt as he crushed the ball over the left centerfield fence.
The Cajuns entered the dreadful ninth inning with a 11-4 lead, but were unable to hold the lead as the Trojans erupted for eight runs.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
