Cajuns And Tigers Split Season Series

METAIRIE, La. ? Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns fought harder than at any other time in the last two weeks against LSU in the Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic at Zephyr Field, but ultimately fell short of completing a season sweep of the Tigers with a 10-6 loss Wednesday night. The Cajuns took a 10-9 decision from LSU on March 11 at the new Alex Box Stadium in thrilling fashion earlier this season.

A four-run fifth inning rally brought the Cajuns back to life from a 6-1 deficit, but the tough Tiger bats climbed out with four runs after UL's push while the Cajuns could only answer with one more. The Ragin' Cajuns fall to 18-20-1 on the season with the loss.

Travis Whipple led the offense on 3-for-4 hitting with an RBI, a double and two runs scored. Will Long was 2-for-3 with two RBIs after pinch-hitting for Scott Hawkins, and Kyle Bostick raised his batting average to a season-high .256 with a 2-for-4 night accompanied by two RBIs. Les Smith drove in one RBI hitting 1-for-5 to round out the offensive highlights.

Freshman starting pitcher Matt Lackie allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits, one walk and no strikeouts. He was touched for two unearned runs in the first as the Cajuns' defense committed two costly errors. He allowed two more in the third inning and left a runner on base in the fourth who would later score, and took the loss as a result. He is now 1-1 on the year with a 6.59 ERA.

The Cajuns threw five more pitchers in the game. In order, Blake Haagen and Luke Wagley pitched an inning each, Randall Bulliard threw 2/3 of an inning, Greg Wilborn walked the only batter he faced, Matt Broussard pitched 1 1/3 innings and Dayton Marze went one inning.

Broussard led the pitching staff with four outs on nine pitches, retiring all four he faced in order on fly outs. Haagen and Wagley each allowed one earned run, Haagen on one hit and Wagley on two, while Bulliard allowed two runs, both earned, on two hits. Marze finished on the mound for the Cajuns, allowing one run, earned, on no hits, three walks, one intentional, and one strikeout.

The Cajuns leaned on one run in the third and ninth and their four-run outburst in the fifth inning, but the Tigers struck early and often. They scored two runs in the first, third, fourth and sixth along with one each in the fifth and eighth.

The Tigers posted two unearned runs in the first inning following a throwing error on Travis Whipple which cost the Cajuns a double play opportunity, and one on Thad Griffen, who had trouble handling a throw at home plate while attempting to tag out Sean Ochinko.

LSU added two more in the third on a Blake Dean home run down the right field line with Ryan Schimpf already on.

Will Long pinch hit for Scott Hawkins in the top of the fourth, and fed a single through the right side to put runners on the corners with Whipple on third. Bostick drove Whipple in with a two-out single that punched through the 6-5 hole for the Cajuns first run of the game, heading to the bottom of the fourth trailing 4-1.

Lackie gave up one last hit in the bottom of the fourth before making way for Blake Haagen. The reliever gave up a two-run home run to his first batter faced, but induced a deep fly out and got two strikeouts to exit the inning without further damage, Louisiana trailing 6-1 into the top of the fifth.

Greg Fontenot walked his way aboard with two down in the top of the fifth, and a series of hits followed to score four runs, starting with a double deep into left center off the bat of Travis Whipple to score Fontenot. Will Long got his second hit in as many at bats with a long single to centerfield, scoring Whipple from second. Long advanced on a stolen base, and came around on Les Smith's RBI single into short center. Keefer hit an infield single thanks to a mental miscue from Tiger shortstop Austin Nola, allowing Smith to advance safely to second. Kyle Bostick got down 0-2 but lined an RBI single into right field, plating Smith to position the Cajuns within one at 6-5. The rally encompassed five consecutive hits, all with two outs.

The Tigers tacked a run on in the bottom of the frame with Wagley on the mound. With two runners on, Wagley battled back and fanned two to end the inning and keep the game within reach.

The Tigers pushed back out to a four-run lead with a two-run home run from Ryan Schimpf off of Randall Bulliard in the bottom of the sixth, extending the advantage to 9-5.

LSU added one more on an RBI groundout in the eighth to complete their scoring for the night, leading 10-5 heading to the ninth.

Matt Hicks tagged his first hit of the season with a triple to left center in the ninth, and Will Long sacrificed him in with a foul fly to the left to give the Cajuns their sixth run, but that was all UL would get.

The Ragin' Cajuns get back into Sun Belt Conference play with a weekend series at Troy University, scheduled for 6 p.m. starts on Friday and Saturday and a 1 p.m. start on Sunday. Jay Walker will be on the road with the call for SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM Friday and NewRadio 105.1 KPEL on Saturday and Sunday, and look to RaginCajuns.com for live statistics.

NOTES

· The Cajuns' four-run fifth inning rally happened on a walk and five consecutive hits, all with two outs.

· Matt Hicks was 0-for-25 on the season before pinch hitting in the ninth inning for Greg Fontenot when he struck a triple.

· The Cajuns swept LSU in the regular season once, in 2002, but went on to drop 2-of-3 games in the Baton Rouge NCAA Regional that year. Aside from several one-game seasons, Louisiana has yet to register a complete season sweep of the Tigers.

LINE SCORE

LSU 10, Louisiana 6 (Apr 22, 2009 at Metairie, La.)

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Louisiana........... 000 140 001  -  6 11  2      (18-20-1)

LSU................. 202 212 01X  - 10  9  1      (30-12)

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Pitchers: Louisiana - Lackie, Matthew; Haagen, Blake(4); Wagley, Luke(5); Bulliard, Randall(6);

Wilborn, Greg(6); Broussard, Matt(6); Marze, Dayton(8). LSU - Ross; Matulis(3); Nicholson(5);

Bertuccini(5); Bradshaw(9).

Win-Bertuccini(1-0)  Loss-Lackie, Matthew(1-1)  T-3:16  A-6601

HR LSU - Schimpf (12); Dean (8); Gibbs (5).



Lackie, M faced 1 batter in the 4th.

Nicholson faced 2 batters in the 5th.

Wilborn, G faced 1 batter in the 6th.

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