University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Northwestern State
Ninth Inning Rally Costs Cajuns against Demons
5/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
LAFAYETTE-Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns four game home stand started off on a sour note as UL dropped a 13-9 decision Tuesday night to in-state rival Northwestern State. The Demons scored five runs in the top of the ninth to break a tie and earn the win.
The Demons took control of the game in the top of the ninth inning. Northwestern State led off the inning with a single to left field. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner into scoring position. The Ragin' Cajuns hit the next batter with a pitch. With two on and one out, UL walked the next batter to load the bases. A single plated the go ahead run. A double cleared the bases and gave the Demons a 12-8. The Cajuns recorded the second out of the inning with a strikeout, but a hit batter and a single plated another runner to push the lead to 13-8.
UL plated a runner in the bottom of the ninth but were unable to overcome the five runs the Demons scored in the top half of the inning.
The Cajuns collected 13 hits on the evening including a three-run homerun from Devery Van De Keere. Scott Hawkins and Alex Preciado paced the Ragin' Cajuns with three hits apiece. Hawkins had a pair of doubles, while Preciado added a double of his own. Hawkins added a pair of RBI on the night and Preciado scored two runs.
The Ragin' Cajuns used six pitchers on the night. The stable surrendered 13 runs on 14 hits. Only seven of the 13 runs were earned as UL committed a pair of errors in the six-run third inning. The Cajuns recorded eight strikeouts as a team, but walked six batters and hit three other batters.
Gregory Harmon took the loss for the Cajuns. The freshman struggled with his control in the ninth inning. In the decisive ninth inning, he walked a batter and hit another batter. He gave up three hits and was responsible for all five runs that scored in the inning.
The Cajuns struck early scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. John McCarthy led off the game with a walk. He moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt. Devon Bourque lined a ball towards third base that was just barely fair. Bourque beat the throw for the first hit of the game for the Ragin' Cajuns. Van De Keere stepped up to plate with two runners on base and no outs. The junior hit a line drive homerun into the pine trees in behind right field to give UL a 3-0 advantage.
After retiring the Demons in order in the first inning, the Cajuns were faced with a one out bases loaded jam. Greg Wilborn induced a popup to first base and a ground ball to the shortstop to end the threat with no runs coming across to score.
The Demons took the lead in the third inning. The lead off batter reached base thanks to a fielding error by the Cajuns. A double to left centerfield gave Northwestern State their first run of the game. A single gave the Demons runners on the corners and a stolen base moved the runner on first base into scoring position. Wilborn struck out the next batter for the first out of the inning. Van De Keere made a spectacular stab at third and managed to throw out the runner for the second out of the inning. A double extended the inning and plated the two runners, tying the game. The Cajuns went to the bullpen and Brandt Sanders entered the game. Sanders started the game by hitting the first batter. He induced a ground ball to shortstop. Bourque went to second with the ball but his pitch was not in time to allow everyone to reach base safely. Back-to-back singles plated three more runs. Sanders struck out the next batter to end the inning, but the damage had been done as the Cajuns trailed 6-3 after two and a half innings of play.
With one out in the bottom of the third inning, Jonathan Lucroy reached base with a base on balls. Jefferies Tatford followed that with his 17th hit by pitch this season. Seventeen HBPs ties Tatford for the Cajuns record for most in a season and puts him one shy of tying the career record. With two runners on base and one out, the Cajuns were not able to plate any runners. The Demon recorded the second out of the inning on a shallow fly ball and proceeded to end the inning with a strikeout.
The Demons threatened in the top of the fourth inning. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for Northwestern State with just one out. Sanders struck out the next batter for the second out of the inning and a deep fly ball to the warning track ended the inning.
In the Ragin' Cajuns half of the fourth inning, Hawkins led off the inning with a double off of the leftfield wall. A Tim Santiago single moved Hawkins to third base. With runners on the corners, McCarthy grounded a ball towards first base. The first baseman threw towards second to try to get Santiago out. Although the shortstop appeared to be off of the bag and dropped the ball, the umpire covering the play called Santiago out. The play did score a runner and the Cajuns cut the lead to 6-4. Northwestern State was able to end the inning without any other UL runs.
In the fifth inning, the Cajuns took the lead. Lucroy led off the inning with a bloop single to right field. Preciado singled through the left side to move Lucroy to second base. Josh Landry plated Lucroy with a single up the middle of the infield. Hawkins doubled down the leftfield line to plate a pair of runners and give the Cajuns a 7-6 edge.
The Cajuns lead would not last long. In the top of the sixth inning, UL walked a batter with one out. The runner moved to second on a groundout. With two outs, Northwestern State got a double to left centerfield to tie the score at 7-7. A single to right field gave the Demons the lead at 8-7.
In the NSU half of the seventh inning with a runner on second base, the Demons hit a deep shot to left field. Preciado timed his jump perfectly and robbed Northwestern State of a two-run homerun.
With a runner on and one out, Hawkins singled to left center to give the Cajuns runners on the corners. Santiago grounded out to second base, but Landry came home on the play tying the score at eight apiece.
Northwestern State scored five runs on four hits to take the lead in the ninth inning.
With the Ragin' Cajuns trailing 13-8 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, UL tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Preciado doubled to left field. He came around to score on an RBI single by Landry. The Cajuns comeback efforts stopped their as the Demons retired the next two UL batters in order.
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns will close out the regular season with three home games. UL returns to the field for the final conference series of the regular season on Thursday through Saturday, May 18-20. Game times are set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, with Saturday's game starting at 2:05 p.m.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
