University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Middle Tennessee
Cajuns defeat Middle Tennessee
3/16/2007 4:00:00 AM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. ? Matt Pilgreen had a solid relief outing for 3 2/3 innings and in the ninth inning a pinch hit home run by Devery Van De Keere provided insurance as Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team defeated Middle Tennessee 6-3 here Friday evening in game one of a weekend Sun Belt series.
Pilgreen entered the contest with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning in relief of UL starter Buddy Glass who was laboring after getting hit in his right leg by a line drive in the fourth inning. At the time, UL was clinging to a 4-2 lead and MT had runners on the corners with one out.
Pilgreen worked out of trouble in the Blue Raiders fifth as the hosts could only get one run and the Cajuns (15-3, 4-0 Sun Belt) still had the lead at 4-3.
Pilgreen then proceeded to retire nine consecutive MT hitters keeping the Blue Raiders off the scoreboard over the next three innings before giving way to Danny Farquhar who collected the save.
Middle Tennessee reliever Brett Riley retired Nolan Gisclair and Jonathan Lucroy to start the UL half of the ninth.
The Blue Raiders (8-11, 2-2 Sun Belt) then went to the bullpen again in an attempt to get the third out.
The Ragin' Cajuns responded with a two-out single by Jefferies Tatford off of Kenneth Roberts to keep the inning alive.
On the second pitching change, UL head coach Tony Robichaux countered with Van De Keere who pinch hit for Scott Hawkins. The pinch hit home run off of MT reliever Jordan Alvis upped the Cajuns lead to 6-3.
Farquhar worked around a leadoff walk by retiring the next two batters. After a two-out walk issued to pinch hitter Michael McSweeney, Farquhar struck out Myles Ervin for the final out.
With the victory the Ragin' Cajuns improved to 4-0 in Sun Belt play ? the first 4-0 start in league play since the 2000 season.
Tatford, whose two-out hit in the ninth kept the inning alive for van de Keere, started the second inning with a leadoff double to trigger a two-run frame for the visitors.
On a Hawkins groundout to MT pitcher Matt Scott, Tatford trotted over to third base. Tim Santiago walked and later stole second to give UL two runners in scoring position.
An infield single by Kolin Hatfield was enough to score Tatford from third base for a 1-0 lead. Justin Robichaux then dropped a single to left field and the bases were loaded with one out.
Devon Bourque then shoved a bunt toward Scott who flipped to home to force out Santiago for the second out. MT catcher Drew Robertson attempted to turn the double play and try to get Bourque at first base. Robertson's throw was off the mark and sailed into right field allowing Hatfield to score and give UL a 2-0 lead.
A one-out home run in the third inning off the bat of Lucroy increased the UL lead to 3-0. The Cajuns had an opportunity for further damage in the inning as Scott Hawkins and Santiago each drew a walk and Hatfield collected an infield single ? all with two outs.
Scott got Robichaux to ground out to second base to end the threat and hold the Cajuns lead at 3-0.
The Blue Raiders chipped away at the UL lead with single runs in the third and fourth innings.
Lucroy started the Cajuns fifth inning with a high chopper to third base that had enough bounce to allow him to reach on an infield single. Lucroy would move up to second base when Tatford grounded out to Scott for the first out.
Scott struck out Hawkins for the second out. That was followed by a Santiago single to left field on which third base coach John Szefc waved Lucroy home for a his second run of the contest to up the lead to 4-2.
Santiago's two-out hit allowed UL to hold onto the lead as the Blue Raiders added another single run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Glass gave up a leadoff single to Matt Campbell and a one-out single to Ervin and the Blue Raiders had runners on the corner. Pilgreen then relieved Glass and got Taylor Dennis to fly out to right field for the second out. Dennis' fly ball wasn't deep enough to allow Campbell to tag.
A two-out single from Wayne Kendrick allowed Campbell to score cutting the Cajuns lead to 4-3. Pilgreen then got Rawley Bishop to line out at third base for the final out ? the first of nine straight retired by Pilgreen.
Pilgreen was outstanding in relief as he slammed the door on the Blue Raiders with 3-2/3 innings of two-hit work, striking out two, and walking none to earn his second win in five relief appearances. Glass didn't figure in the decision as he did not pitch the requisite five innings for a starting pitcher to earn a decision.
Farquhar came on to pitch the ninth and notch his fifth save.
The two teams will continue their three-game weekend series on Saturday, March 17 with a start time of 4 p.m., at MT's Reese Smith Field.
LINE SCORE
Louisiana-Lafayette 6, Middle Tennessee 3 (Mar 16, 2007 at Murfreesboro, Tenn.)
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Louisiana-Lafayette. 021 010 002 0 - 6 12 0 (15-3, 4-0)
Middle Tennessee.... 001 110 000 X - 3 7 0 (8-11, 2-2)
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Pitchers: Louisiana-Lafayette - Glass, Buddy; Pilgreen, Matt(5); Farquhar, Danny(9).
Middle Tennessee - Scott; Reilley(9); Roberts(9); Alvis(9).
Win-Pilgreen, Matt(2-0) Save-Farquhar, Danny(5) Loss-Scott(2-2) T-2:43 A-616
HR UL - Lucroy, Jonathan; Van De Keere, Devery.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
