LAFAYETTE ? Josh Logan's (Magee, Miss.) bases-loaded squeeze bunt in the bottom of the ninth scored the game-winning run to give the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns a 3-2 comeback victory over the Lamar Cardinals Tuesday night at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.
Lamar (18-9) took a combined no-hitter into the seventh inning, until Matt Goulas (New Iberia, La.) broke it up with a pinch hit single. Louisiana (12-14) was held to its second-lowest hit (3) total this season.
Freshman Randall Bulliard (Lafayette, La.) notched his first career victory on the hill, striking out two batters in one inning of perfect relief. Matt Broussard (Breaux Bridge, La.) got the start for the Cajuns, allowing one run on four hits in six innings of work.
Lamar's John Ross Ramirez (0-1) was dealt the loss, allowing the game-winning run on two hits in one-third of an inning.
Gabe Begneaud (Lafayette, La.) made his first career start Tuesday night as the Cajuns designated hitter. Begneaud's start would be his final game with the Cajuns as a knee injury will sideline him for the remainder of the season.
Logan drew a lead-off walk in the first inning and later added back-to-back steals before scoring on a Matt Hicks (Houston, Texas) RBI sacrifice bunt for a 1-0 Cajuns lead.
Lamar tied it at 1-1 in the top of the fourth. Chris Dunkin drove a lead-off double to right field and later moved to third on a Travis Dunson single through the left side. Jeff Vickers provided the equalizer, plating Dunkin with a RBI sacrifice fly to left.
After Logan reached base and scored, Lamar pitching retired the next nine batters before issuing a lead-off walk in the fourth. The Cajuns later walked twice more to load the bases with two outs, but they were unsuccessful in scoring the go-ahead run.
Louisiana broke up Lamar's no-hit bid with the first batter in the bottom of the seventh. Goulas laced a pinch hit single into left field on the first pitch he saw from Jordan Thibodeaux.
It wouldn't until the eighth that the Cajuns were able regain a one-run lead, 2-1. Jordan Poirrier (Reserve, La.) sent a towering fly ball to deep right field which permitted Brian Bowman (Lafayette, La.) to score the go-ahead run from third. However, Lamar answered back in the top of the ninth.
Justin Robichaux (Crowley, La.) was brought on in relief in the ninth, replacing senior Buddy Glass (Clermont, Fla.). Robichaux walked Dunson on four straight pitches before David Moore sent a screaming ball back to the pitcher, dropping Robichaux to the ground. Then, Poirrier threw the ball past Tyler Benzel (Groveland, Fla.) at first which allowed the tying run to score, 2-2. Robichaux was taken out of the game and replaced by Bulliard who retired the next three Cardinal batters to end the inning.
The Cajuns posted their third come-from-behind victory in a week in the ninth. Dillon Guillory (Scott, La.) led off with a single down the left field line and then advanced to second on Goulas sacrifice bunt. Greg Fontenot (Lafayette, La.) later replaced Guillory at second before advancing to third on a fielding error by Dunson. Logan followed with a squeeze bunt that was placed perfectly between the charging third baseman and pitcher, but the throw was not in time as Fontenot slid into home.
Louisiana continues its five-game week Wednesday when the Ragin' Cajuns travel down Interstate 12 to play in-state rival Southeastern Louisiana at 6:30 p.m. in Hammond.
Louisiana-Lafayette 3, Lamar 2 (Apr 01, 2008 at Lafayette, La.)
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Lamar............... 000 100 001 - 2 5 2 (18-9)
Louisiana-Lafayette. 100 000 011 - 3 3 1 (12-14)
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Pitchers: Lamar - Nelson; Gore(3); Prigmore(4); McInnis(5); Thibodeaux(6); Needham(7); Ramirez(9). Louisiana-Lafayette - Broussard, Matt; Glass, Buddy(7); Robichaux, Justin(9); Bulliard, Randall(9).
Win-Bulliard, Randall(1-0) Loss-Ramirez(0-1) T-2:59 A-1541
Thibodeaux faced 1 batter in the 7th.
Robichaux, J faced 2 batters in the 9th.
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