Win Over MT Doubles The Fun

TROY, Ala. ? The fifth-seeded Ragin' Cajuns keep turning double plays and keep on winning, now on a five-game winning streak thanks to a dramatic 5-4 upset of first-seed Middle Tennessee in the second round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Thursday night.

The Cajuns, 27-28-1 on the year following their second win in the tournament, are still in the winner's bracket and guaranteed to be playing on Saturday following an excellent performance from starting pitcher Justin Robichaux and the stunning defense of middle infielders Greg Fontenot and Kyle Bostick.

Fontenot and Bostick turned four double plays in the game, one in each of the first two innings, and one in the sixth behind Justin Robichaux, plus one in the eighth to end a threat for Luke Wagley. The season total of 63, aided by 12 in the last three games, ties a school record originally set in 2000 during the long stretch to the College World Series, spanning 69 games. The Cajuns have tied the record in only 56 games this season.

The season total also places UL at the top of the leaderboard among Sun Belt schools, and the defense has turned four or more double plays in three different games this year. Three of Thursday's turns were of the 4-6-3 variety and one was 6-4-3.

With the Raiders' tying run 90 feet from home, Greg Fontenot saved the game and added an exclamation point to the win with a breathtaking play at shortstop. He fielded a grounder on an in-between hop and threw to second while falling backwards for the game-saving final out of the contest, beating the sliding runner by a fraction of a second.

Starting pitcher Justin Robichaux kept the Blue Raiders contained through the first three innings, not giving up a run until the fourth. He settled down again after that and held Middle Tennessee scoreless through the next three. The defense played a large role, turning their four double plays to save at least three runs in the game. Robichaux finished seven innings while scattering nine hits to allow just one run, earned, on one walk and three strikeouts.

Robichaux has now pitched enough innings to qualify as a Sun Belt pitching leader, and with a 1.98 ERA leads the conference, ahead of all other competitors by over one full point. His ERA against Sun Belt opponents is now 1.77 on the season, and he has not given up an earned in 39 of his last 41 innings pitched, which includes all six of his starts.

Middle Tennessee came into the game after a 12-2 run-rule win over FAU Wednesday in the first round. The Cajuns took all three games in the regular season weekend series in Lafayette, by scores of 5-2 Friday, 10-5 Saturday, and 14-7 Sunday. The Raiders are still a potential opponent, though, as they will play FAU in an elimination game Friday morning at 9 a.m. The winner of that game will play Louisiana in the semifinals at 4 p.m. Friday.

Les Smith got the scoring started in the bottom of the first with a first-pitch bomb over the monster in right field, his ninth home run of the year, to put him and Scott Hawkins back into a tie for the season lead at nine. Smith finished the day 1-for-2 with two runs scored and one RBI. Hawkins produced as well, going 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.

Kyle Bostick was 2-for-4 as well with an RBI as part of the double-play tandem with Greg Fontenot, who went 0-for-3 but managed to drive in a run on a sacrifice fly. Alex Fuselier also tallied an RBI in the designated hitter spot on 2-for-5 hitting.

Blake Haagen entered to start the eighth in relief and immediately ran into trouble, despite having handled Blue Raider hitting in the regular season. He got just one out while allowing three hits, two runs, both earned, and a walk. Luke Wagley came in with the bases loaded in the eighth and issued a run-scoring walk before inducing a double play to end the side, and allowed one to score in the ninth before ending the game. He finished 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run, unearned, on one hit, three walks and one strikeout.

Justin Robichaux allowed two straight singles to start the game, but struck out center fielder Nathan Hines and induced a 4-6-3 double play to get out of the trouble. It was the third straight time the Cajuns have ended their first defensive turn with a double play, starting with the record setting six double play game on May 16 at UNO.

Les Smith drilled a two-out, solo home run over the monster in right field to open the scoring.

In the second inning, Robichaux walked first baseman Blake McDade aboard, but as it turns out he was just prepping the defense for another 4-6-3 double play. An infield popup ended the side and kept the Cajuns up 1-0.

In the bottom of the third, Kyle Olasin drew a walk and then stole second base on a Matt Goulas strikeout. Alex Fuselier singled to short left and Olasin slid around an almost perfect throw from Raider left fielder Bryce Brentz to score on the play, putting the Cajuns ahead 2-0.

Middle Tennessee finally touched Robichaux for their first run in the top of the fourth. With Brentz on first following an infield hit to short, McDade ripped a groundball down the third baseline all the way into the corner to score Brentz from first.

The Cajuns loaded the bases without registering a hit in the bottom of the fifth thanks to Matt Goulas being hit by a pitch, an intentional walk to Les Smith and a walk to Chad Keefer. Scott Hawkins approached the plate with one out and drilled a single through the left side to score Goulas and keep the bases loaded. Greg Fontenot then lifted a foul fly to right field, deep enough to allow everyone to move up a base on the sacrifice fly, including Smith, who crossed the plate for the second run of the inning. Louisiana took a 4-1 lead into the sixth inning.

Robichaux got into a jam in the top of the sixth with runners on first and third and just one out following two singles to start, followed by a fielder's choice. But the Cajuns' defense came through again with the third double play of the game.

Scott Hawkins got on board with a single in the bottom of the seventh, and moved up to second on a steal. Kyle Bostick zipped a grounder back up the middle which glanced off the glove of second baseman Taylor Dennis and into left field, allowing Hawkins to score to give the Cajuns a four-run advantage at 5-1.

Blake Haagen entered to pitch the eighth, and ran into trouble despite having handled the Raiders during the regular season. He let Nathan Hines on with a single, then threw two wild pitches to move him up to third. Hines came home on a Bryce Brentz double before Haagen retired his first out on a fly ball. Haagen then walked pinch hitter Grant Box and allowed a tough-luck single on a Stuart Meinhart chopper that came to rest on the third base foul line to load the bases. Luke Wagley took over the tough situation and started off with a run-scoring walk. He recovered and induced a 6-4-3 double play, the Cajuns fourth of the game.

Wagley had no more luck in the ninth, allowing a single, a walk and an intentional walk to load the bases for Blake McDade. He launched a fly ball to deep center, but the ballpark held it for Olasin, who made the catch, though one run scored on the sacrifice fly. The next play was Fontenot's game-sealing grab-and-throw, locking up the victory for the Cajuns.

Next up for the Cajuns will be the winner of an elimination game between FAU and Middle Tennessee to be played at 9 a.m. Friday morning.

NOTES

The season total of 63 double plays, aided by 12 in the last three games, ties a school record originally set in 2000 during the long stretch to the College World Series, spanning 69 games. The Cajuns have tied the record in only 56 games this season.
The season total also places UL at the top of the leaderboard among Sun Belt schools, and the defense has turned four or more double plays in three different games this year. Three of Thursday's turns were of the 4-6-3 variety and one was 6-4-3.
Les Smith's first inning home run over the right field wall was the 16th of the Sun Belt Tournament over the 30-foot partition, and the Cajuns' third home run of the tournament following Scott Hawkins and Chad Keefer's shots in Wednesday's 11-3 first round win over FIU.
Justin Robichaux nows a 1.98 ERA overall and a 1.77 ERA versus Sun Belt opponents. With seven innings, Robichaux surpassed the 1.0 IP/team game statistical minimum to be ranked among the Sun Belt leaders, and now does so by more than a full point. In the last Sun Belt statistical release, Middle Tennessee's Kenneth Roberts led with a 3.08 ERA.
The Cajuns got one sacrifice hit from Matt Goulas, which puts the team at 55 for the year. The single season record for sac hits is 57, set in 2006 and tied in 2008, both 59 game seasons.

LINE SCORE

Louisiana 5, Middle Tennessee 4 (May 21, 2009 at Troy, Alabama)

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Middle Tennessee.... 000 100 021  -  4 13  1      (39-16)

Louisiana........... 101 020 10X  -  5  7  1      (27-28-1)

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Pitchers: Middle Tennessee - Guidry, Justin; Montgomery, Nick(5); Coley, Chad(6);

Smalley, Brett(7); Woods, Coty(8). Louisiana - Robichaux, Justin; Haagen, Blake(8);

Wagley, Luke(8).

Win-Robichaux, Justin(3-3)  Save-Wagley, Luke(4)  Loss-Guidry, Justin(3-2)  T-3:07  A-631

HR UL - Smith, Les (9).

Weather: Cloudy, 73 degrees, ENE 13 mph

Game notes:

Game 7 of Sun Belt Tournament

Middle Tennessee def. FAU (12-2), ULL def. FIU (11-3) on Wednesday

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