Moody, Hawkins Lift Cajuns Past Troy

TROY, Ala.-Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team claimed game two of a three game conference series with Troy as they edged the Trojans 4-3 at Riddle-Pace Field.

The Ragin' Cajuns (28-8, 13-4 Sun Belt) collected just seven hits in the game but made them count as they belted two homeruns and had a pair of a doubles to go along with three singles.

Scott Hawkins had three of the Cajuns hits. The sophomore designated hitter fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle as he had a homerun, double and single in the game. The homerun for Hawkins was his second homerun of the series, and also tied Hawkins for the team lead with 11 homers.

Starting pitcher Hunter Moody (5-2) was solid in his eighth start of the season. The sophomore worked into the eighth, but was relieved after giving up a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning. Moody surrendered six hits on the afternoon with only one extra base hit. He struck out seven batters while issuing only one free pass. Moody did not allow a runner past second base until the eighth inning.

The Cajuns wasted little time putting a run across in the first inning. After working the count full, Josh Logan singled to right field to lead things off. Jefferies Tatford was hit by his team leading 12th pitch of the season. Jonathan Lucroy hit a tailor-made double-play ball, but the Trojans' shortstop mishandled the ball allowing all runners to advance safely. Troy recorded the first out and Nolan Gisclair hit was looked like a routine fly ball, but the centerfield misplayed it. Gisclair reached first as the centerfielder went to second to record the second out of the inning. The Cajuns were able to score on the play as Logan easily trotted in from third base. The one run would be the only run the Cajuns would get in the first and took a 1-0 lead into the bottom half of the inning.

The Ragin' Cajuns tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning. With one out, Scott Hawkins hit his 11th homerun of the season. The homer tied Hawkins with Lucroy for the team lead in homeruns. Gisclair followed with a solo homerun of his own. The back-to-back shots by the Cajuns were the third time this season that UL has gone one after another. The Ragin' Cajuns lead was 3-0 after five and a half innings of play.

UL added an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning. Hawkins beat out an infield single to third base for his third hit of the game. Hawkins stole his fifth base of the season to move into scoring position. With two outs, Matt Hicks hit his second double of the season to plate Hawkins and bump the Cajuns' lead to 4-0.

The run in the top of the eighth would prove to be important as Troy cut the Cajuns lead in half in the bottom of the eighth. A single through the left side of the innings started off the eighth for the Trojans. Troy's Edgar Ramirez hit his sixth homerun of the year to put the Trojans on the scoreboard and trim the UL lead.

Matt Pilgreen entered the game in relief of Moody in the eighth. Pilgreen induced a groundout for the first out of the inning. The next batter singled through the left side of the infield. A fielder's choice erased the lead runner, but a walk gave the Trojans a pair of baserunners. Pilgreen closed out the inning as he struck out the final batter of the inning.

In the bottom of the ninth, Pilgreen got the first batter to fly out to centerfield, but surrendered a solo homerun to the next batter. With the Cajuns clinging to a 4-3 lead, a pair of ground balls to Alexander at second ended the game and secured the win.

The Ragin' Cajuns and Trojans will conclude the series with the final game, which is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Riddle-Pace Field.

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