University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Western Kentucky
Cajuns Complete Sweep of Western Kentucky on Senior Day
5/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Saturday, May 20, 2006
LAFAYETTE-Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns honored their seniors before their final home game and the seniors repaid the fans by leading UL to a 13-3 rout of Western Kentucky in a seven inning game. The game marked the second time this season that the Cajuns have won a Sun Belt game by a 10-run rule.
The Cajuns started the afternoon by honoring eight senior before the final home game at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field. The seniors combined for five hits, five runs, five RBI, two walks and a sacrifice fly to lead UL to a win on the final game of the regular season.
Senior Josh Landry saved one of his best performances for last. The outfielder was a perfect 4-for-4 on the day with four runs scored and three runs batted in. Included in those four hits was an RBI triple.
Fellow senior Alex Preciado was 1-for-1 on the afternoon, extending his team leading hitting streak to 16 games. Preciado scored a run and also drove in two. He walked, laid down a sacrifice bunt and hit a sacrifice fly in his final game at the Tigue.
Junior starting pitcher Jason Fernandez pitched a complete game seven innings. The hurler surrendered just three runs in his third complete game of the season. He walked six batters, but struck out 10. Fernandez currently leads the highly touted Cajun pitching staff with 96 strikeouts on the year.
In the Cajuns' half of the first inning, senior John McCarthy got things going for the UL. He drew a base on balls to lead off the inning and moved to second base as Devon Bourque reached base on a fielding error by the Hilltoppers. Devery Van De Keere singled to centerfield to load the bases for the Ragin' Cajuns. Western Kentucky benefited from a ground ball hit back to the pitcher. The pitcher threw home to get the force out at the plate and the catcher completed the double play by throwing out the batter at first base. With two outs and runners at second and third, Jefferies Tatford doubled to left centerfield to give the Cajuns their first two runs of the game. Landry and Preciado had back-to-back singles to continue the inning. Landry's base knock scored Tatford, while Preciado's base hit plated Landry.
Jonathan Lucroy singled to lead off the third inning. He advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Lucroy moved to third base as Landry picked up his second hit of the afternoon. With runners on the corners, Preciado walked to load the bases. Scott Hawkins singled off of the centerfield to score two runners. A double by Matt Hicks plated Preciado and Hawkins and extended the UL lead to 8-0.
Western Kentucky closed the gap in the top of the fourth inning. The Hilltoppers singled to start off the inning. Fernandez struck out the next two batters, but issued a walk to extend the inning. A single up the middle produced the first WKU run of the afternoon. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third and a single up the middle plated both runners. The Cajuns caught the runner trying to steal for the final out, but the Toppers cut the UL lead to five runs.
The Ragin' Cajuns added a run in the fifth inning. Landry laid down a bunt down the third base line and beat the throw to collect his third hit of the afternoon. A sacrifice bunt moved Landry to second base and a ground out advanced the runner to third. Landry scored the insurance run as the ball was in the dirt and got away from the Hilltopper's catcher.
The Cajuns used their third four-run inning of the afternoon to extend their lead to 10 and finish the game early. In the sixth inning, Bourque started the inning with a ground rule double down the left field line. The ball bounced out of play over the brick wall down the left field line holding Bourque to just a pair of bases. He moved to third base on a wild pitch. Van De Keere hit a ball right back to the pitcher, but after looking Bourque back to third base, the pitchers throw pulled the first baseman off of the bag and allowed Van De Keere to reach base safely. With runners on the corners, Lucroy hit a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield to plate Bourque from third. Tatford stepped to the plate with one out and a runner on and hit his second double of the game. The shot down the right field line gave the Cajuns a pair of runners in scoring position. Landry cleared the bases as he tripled down the right field line. He came around to score as Preciado hit a sacrifice fly to right field.
With a 13-3 lead, Fernandez struck out the side in the top of the seventh inning to end the game early and secure the victory.
The Ragin' Cajuns will return to action on Wednesday, May 24 as they participate in the Aeropostale Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship. The Cajuns enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed and will face No. 7 Arkansas State in Bowling Green, Ky. Game time is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and all games will be broadcast on ESPN Sports Radio KPEL 1420 in Lafayette.
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