University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee Defeats Cajuns
3/18/2007 4:00:00 AM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. ? Back-to-back base hits with two outs in the fourth inning allowed Middle Tennessee to produce the go-ahead runs and claim a 3-1 victory over Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team here Sunday afternoon.
With the victory MT (10-11, 4-2 Sun Belt) claimed the weekend series 2-1 and ended the Cajuns' (15-5, 4-2 Sun Belt) string of eight straight Sun Belt series wins dating back to last season.
UL's Hunter Moody had another strong start on the mound as the five of the first six outs that he recorded were strikeouts. MT's Brett Smalley was matching Moody holding the Cajuns to two hits over the first four innings.
In the bottom of the fourth inning the Blue Raiders used a little two-out magic to get to Moody and break up the pitcher's duel.
Rawley Bishop started the MT rally with the first of three extra base hits that the Blue Raiders would get off of Moody in the inning. Bishop's double came with one out just over the reach of Kolin Hatfield to the base of the wall.
Moody would get Adam Warren to fly out to Nolan Gisclair in center for the second out.
On the next at bat, Zach Barrett took a 2-2 offering from Moody and swung it into right center field. Gisclair dove in an attempt to reach the ball, but couldn't reach it in time giving Barrett a triple to bring home Bishop for a 1-0 lead.
Matt Campbell followed up Barrett by taking a 2-2 curve ball into the gap in left center field for a double that score Barrett upping the lead to 2-0.
The Ragin' Cajuns got one run back in their half of the fifth inning.
Matt Hicks took a 0-2 pitch from Smalley into right field for a leadoff single. Devon Bourque followed with a free pass to give UL two baserunners with on outs.
Smalley then got Gisclair to foul out to catcher Drew Robertson for the first out. Justin Robichaux then tapped a grounder to shortstop and the ball moved slow enough where the only play was to get Robichaux at first base. Hicks and Bourque moved to second and third.
Jonathan Lucroy then drew a walk after working the count full. The bases were loaded and MT coach Steve Peterson opted to make a pitching change bringing in a lefthander to deal with Jefferies Tatford.
Tyler Copeland relieved Smalley and issued four straight balls to Tatford for a walk that brought home Hicks to slice the lead to 2-1.
UL appeared to have a rally going, but Copeland atoned for his walk by getting Devery Van De Keere to fly out to center for the third out.
Trailing 2-1 in the top of the sixth inning, the Ragin' Cajuns had runners on the corners with two outs after a Bourque base hit to right center field advanced Hatfield (one-out single up the middle) to third base.
That's when the Blue Raiders brought Brett Reilley into the game. He proceeded to retire the final 10 UL batters that he faced.
MT added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning without recording a hit as the Cajuns defense struggled for the second straight game.
Reilley, who retired the Cajuns in order in the top of the seventh, proceeded to retire UL in order in the eighth and ninth innings.
The Ragin' Cajuns got five hits from five different players. Three of the hits came from the bottom of the lineup as Hatfield, Hicks and Bourque each had one hit.
Barrett and Campbell were the catalysts for Middle Tennessee. Barrett went 2-for-4 driving home the first run in the fourth inning and scoring the second run which proved to be the winning tally. Campbell collected MT's other RBI when he doubled home Barrett in the fourth for a 2-0 lead.
Moody took the loss for UL despite eight strikeouts and scattering seven hits over 6 1/3 innings.
Danny Farquhar relieved Moody in the seventh inning and pitched the final 1 2/3 innings. Farquhar limited MT to only one hit and had four strikeouts in holding MT leaving the door open for a possible comeback.
Smalley started the game for the Blue Raiders. It was his first Sun Belt Conference start and he held UL to one run on three hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Reilley was the winning pitcher for the Blue Raiders after Smalley didn't pitch the required five innings. Reilley tossed the final 3 1/3 innings and retired all 10 batters that he faced.
The Ragin' Cajuns return home to meet in-state rival McNeese State at 6:30 p.m., on Tuesday March 20 at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field. The Cajuns will be celebrating Armed Forces Night and it will also be Season Ticket Redemption Night. Season ticket holders with any unused tickets from any of the first nine home games can redeem them for extras to Tuesday's contest.
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns will put their perfect 9-0 home record on the line when they square off with McNeese State.
LINE SCORE
Middle Tennessee 3, Louisiana-Lafayette 1 (Mar 18, 2007 at Murfreesboro, Tenn.)
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Louisiana-Lafayette. 000 010 000 - 1 5 4 (15-5, 4-2)
Middle Tennessee.... 000 200 10X - 3 8 1 (10-11, 4-2)
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Pitchers: Louisiana-Lafayette - Moody; Farquhar(7). Middle Tennessee - Smalley; Copeland(5); Reilley(6).
Win-Reilley(3-0) Loss-Moody, Hunter(2-2) T-2:28 A-723
