University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Southern Mississippi
Streak Ends as Cajuns Fall to Southern Mississippi
3/2/2007 5:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Cajuns lost their first game of the season snapping their 10-game
winning
streak.
HATTIESBURG, Miss.-Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team dropped their
first game of the season as they fell to Southern Mississippi 7-4 on Friday
night at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.
The loss snaps the Cajuns 10-game winning streak. The winning streak was
the
second longest in school history to start the season. The Cajuns had a 13-
game winning streak to start the 1994 season.
The Cajuns fell behind in the first inning, but rallied in the second inning
to take the lead. Southern Miss tied the game in the fourth inning and took
the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Hunter Moody (1-1) took the loss for the Cajuns. The southpaw tossed 4.0
innings. He gave up seven runs ? six earned runs ? on eight hits. Moody
struck out three batters while walking one and hitting another.
Matt Pilgreen entered the game in relief of Moody. The senior worked 4.0
innings surrendering just one hit. Pilgreen continued his hot play. He
did
not allow a run and struck out six batters without issuing a free pass.
Offensively for the Cajuns, Nolan Gisclair and Scott Hawkins both had a pair
of hits. Xavier Alexander had one hit, but led the team with two RBI.
Justin Robichaux collected one hit, but scored two runs on the night.
Southern Miss was the first team to scratch the scoreboard. A fielding
error
by the Cajuns started the first inning for USM. A groundout moved the
runner
to second and a single gave the Golden Eagles runners on the corners. A
triple plated two runners and gave Southern Miss a 2-0 lead after one inning
of play.
The Cajuns responded in the top of the second inning. Hawkins led off the
inning with a single through the left side of the infield. Devery Van De
Keere drew a base on balls giving UL a pair of runners. A fielder's choice
moved Hawkins to third base and a Robichaux single gave the Cajuns their
first run of the game. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and
third, Alexander gave the Ragin' Cajuns the lead with a two-RBI single up
the
middle. After one and a half innings of play, the Cajuns led 3-2.
In the fourth inning, the Golden Eagles collected a one-out single.
Jonathan
Lucroy threw out the second runner of the game to record the second out of
the inning. The out proved to be important as the very next USM batter hit
a
homerun to tie the game at 3-3.
The Golden Eagles took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Southern
Miss led off the inning with a single to left field. A hit batter, a single
and fielding error scored the first run of the inning and gave USM a 4-3
lead. An RBI single plated another run and a walk loaded the bases with no
outs.
The Cajuns brought Pilgreen out of the bullpen with the bases loaded and no
outs. He surrendered his only hit of the game ? a two-RBI single ? before
striking out the next three batters.
In the top of the seventh, the Cajuns made a push to cut into the lead.
Robichaux reached base on a fielding error by the Golden Eagles. A second
fielding error in the inning gave UL a pair of base runners. Gisclair
singled to left field to plate Robichaux and cut the Southern Miss lead to
7-
4. With two runners on and two outs, Jefferies Tatford singled up the
middle
to load the bases for the Cajuns. With the go ahead run at the plate, the
Ragin' Cajuns were unable to generate a hit and missed an opportunity to
close the gap.
Neither team was able to generate any offense in the final two innings, and
the Golden Eagles were able to hold on to the 7-4 victory.
The Ragin' Cajuns return to action tomorrow as they play game two of the
three game series. The game against the Golden Eagles is slated for 1:00
p.m.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
