FAU Contains Cajuns in Opener, 13-6

BOCA RATON, Fla. ? Louisiana's middle-inning frustrations continued Friday night as the Florida Atlantic Owls overcame a one-run deficit, scoring 11 unanswered runs to take a 13-6 win at FAU Stadium.

The loss signified Louisiana's (5-10, 0-4 Sun Belt) first 0-4 start since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 1992. Louisiana has lost its last five Sun Belt contests dating back to the 2007 regular season finale at New Orleans.

Reigning Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year Nolan Gisclair (Marrero, La.) went 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI, while Josh Logan (Magee, Miss.) and Matt Hicks (Houston, Texas) each recorded two hits.

Florida Atlantic (9-5, 2-0 Sun Belt) recorded 11 hits as a team, including three by Nick Arata and two by Troy Bubley and William Block.

Playing in front of family and friends, Danny Farquhar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) didn't have the homecoming performance that he had hoped as the junior suffered his third straight hard-luck loss on the mound. Farquhar (1-3) was touched for five runs on five hits in six innings of work, striking out six batters.

Mickey Storey, who was on a strict pitch count entering the game, lasted six innings, allowing three runs ? one earned ? on six hits with six strikeouts. Storey (1-2) faced 24 batters, throwing 75 pitches to earn his first victory of the season. Sunday's projected starter, Adam Morrison, tossed 46 pitches, allowing three runs on three hits in three innings to earn the save.

A lead-off single by Logan didn't materialize into anything for the Cajuns as Storey retired the next three batters to end the top of the first.

After a three-up-three-down inning for FAU, Louisiana manufactured the game's first run in the second. Hicks drilled a lead-off double that fell just inside the left field line and later moved to third on a Justin Robichaux (Crowley, La.) sacrifice bunt.

Two batters later, Jordan Poirrier (Reserve, La.) followed with a RBI sacrifice fly to deep right field, allowing Hicks to score for a 1-0 Cajuns lead.

Florida Atlantic provided the equalizer in the bottom half of the second. With one out, Travis Ozga reached on a two-base error after Gisclair misplayed the ball in right field. Ozga advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring on a Farquhar balk.

In the third, Louisiana put together back-to-back two-out singles as the Cajuns appeared to be in position to regain the lead. Scott Hawkins (Collierville, Tenn.) drilled a ball down the left field line, but as it began to hook foul, FAU left fielder Jeremy Griffiths kept chase and made a summersault catch before falling over the fence in foul territory.

Griffith's catch ended Louisiana's chances of producing any runs as the game remained knotted at 1-1 after two and a half innings.

While the Owls robbed the Cajuns in the top of third, Florida Atlantic touched Farquhar for the go-ahead run when Mike McKenna plated Daniel Cook with an RBI groundout for a 2-1 lead.

Louisiana and Florida Atlantic exchanged runs in the fifth inning as each team hung a two-spot in the frame.

Gisclair later made up for his second-inning error when he hammered a towering two-run home run over the fence in left for a 3-2 Cajuns lead. Gisclair's two-run home run in the fifth was his second in the last two games.

FAU went back on top in the home half of the fifth, 4-3. Arata reached on a lead-off double to center field and would later round the bases on Griffiths' opposite-field home run, giving the Owls a one-run advantage.

Morrison relieved Storey in the seventh and retired the first two Cajuns before getting into a jam. After a fielding error and a walk, Morrison had two runners on with two outs, but was able to force Gisclair to end the inning on a pop up.

Florida Atlantic broke the game open in the seventh, scoring four runs on three hits to take a five-run lead, 8-3. The Owls added five more runs in the eighth for a commanding 13-3 cushion.

The Cajuns cut into the 10-run deficit, scoring three runs in the ninth inning but it wouldn't be enough as FAU prevailed 13-6.

Louisiana and Florida Atlantic will meet Saturday for game two of the three-game Sun Belt Conference series at 3 p.m. (CT)/4 p.m. (ET).

Florida Atlantic 13, Louisiana-Lafayette 6 (Mar 14, 2008 at Boca Raton, Fla.)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Louisiana-Lafayette. 010 020 003 - 6 9 1 (5-10, 0-4 SUN BELT)

Florida Atlantic.... 011 020 45X - 13 11 2 (9-5, 2-0 SUN BELT)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Win-Storey, Mickey(1-1) Save-Morrison, Adam(1) Loss-Farquhar, Danny(1-3) T-2:35 A-376

-www.RaginCajuns.com-

Next Event

Footer

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics