Cajuns Drop Series Opener To WKU

LAFAYETTE, La. ? Shaky defense again marred a solid outing from Zach Osborne, the Cajuns' starting pitcher Friday night at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field, as Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns fell 6-3 to the Sun Belt-leading WKU Hilltoppers. UL's overall record stands at 21-26-1, and 10-14 in Sun Belt play.

A two-run home run from Chad Keefer in the sixth inning to tie the game at 2-2 kept the Cajuns in the contest until relievers Blake Haagen and Luke Wagley each threw a wild pitch and catcher Thad Griffen added a throwing error to allow two runs to score in the seventh. Wagley went on to allow two unearned runs to score in the eighth to bring the game to its final 6-3 score.

Scott Hawkins led all Cajuns with a 2-for-3 outing with an RBI in the eighth. Only Keefer and Kyle Bostick added any other hits, each 1-for-3 on the night, Keefer adding two RBIs on the home run.

Zach Osborne turned in another reliable start, finishing five innings on seven hits and two runs, both earned, with three walks and a season/career-high eight strikeouts. The walks were uncharacteristic of Osborne, who was ranked ninth in the nation in walks allowed per nine innings at just 0.96 through games of May 3, and came only after he hit the 100-pitch mark in the fifth inning. He ended up stopping a bases-loaded threat with his eighth and final strikeout of the night.

Haagen (2-2) took the loss on 1 1/3 innings, allowing three hits to score two runs on no walks and no strikeouts. Wagley pitched 2 2/3 innings to complete the game, allowing the two unearned runs on three hits, two walks and five strikeouts.

As many runs as the Hilltoppers scored, the final score could have been much more lopsided. WKU left 15 runners stranded on base throughout the game.

The Cajuns had no easy task in facing down Topper starting pitcher Matt Hightower, who entered the game at 6-1 with a 2.93 ERA, the league's best. Louisiana gave him more trouble than most teams could muster, earning two runs off the southpaw, both earned, though they came on just three hits. In the game, UL managed only four hits as a team. Evan Teague earned the win on 2/3 innings, setting down the only batter he faced and benefitting from a Scott Hawkins failed steal attempt.

Thad Griffen gunned down two would-be base stealers, one at second in the fourth and one at third in the fifth, his eighth and ninth of the year.

WKU started the game with a run in the first inning, pushing through one on a hit-by-pitch and two singles through the right side to take an early 1-0 advantage over Osborne.

Chad Kregar singled home the Hilltoppers' second run in the top of the fifth. Osborne had a rare three-walk inning, working himself out of a bases loaded jam with his eighth strikeout of the night to end the side and go to the bottom of the frame behind just 2-0.

Blake Haagen entered to pitch the sixth and immediately found himself in a bases loaded, no out spot following two errors and a single. The defense got itself out of its own jam, though, when Matt Hightower grounded to Keefer at first. He fired home for the force out and then fielded a throw back from Griffen at first to complete the 3-2-3 double play. Greg Fontenot flashed the leather on a check-swing pop-up into short right-center, falling backwards in order to make the catch and end the inning unscathed.

Kyle Bostick got on base with one out in the sixth inning, preparing the way for Chad Keefer to drill a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall to tie the game at 2-2.

WKU posted two hits on Wagley and was aided by a wild pitch and a throwing error on Griffen to score two more runs in the sixth, retaking a two-run lead at 4-2.

The Hilltoppers got two bonus runs in the eighth, when with the bases loaded Wagley induced a grounder back to the mound, but threw past Griffen at home, allowing two runs to score, both unearned, extending WKU's lead to 6-2.

Scott Hawkins tacked on one more run for the Cajuns' in the bottom of the eighth, pushing an RBI single into left field to score Matt Goulas from second and bring the Cajuns' within three runs at 6-3.

The Cajuns continue the WKU series Saturday at 2 p.m. NewsRadio 105.1 KPEL FM has the broadcast both over the air and at KPEL1501.com. The game features in a MyKLAF-TV television broadcast (Cox channel 13), and RaginCajuns.com will provide live video as well as live statistics.

NOTES

· The four-error performance by the Cajuns' defense marks the third such outing in the last four games. The UL defense committed four errors in both the Friday and Saturday games of the East Carolina series, both losses.

LINE SCORE

WKU 6, Louisiana 3 (May 08, 2009 at Lafayette, La.)

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WKU................. 100 010 220  -  6 13  0      (36-12, 20-5)

Louisiana........... 000 002 010  -  3  4  4      (21-26-1, 10-14)

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Pitchers: WKU - Hightower, Matt; Teague, Evan(6); Paxson, J.B.(7). Louisiana - Osborne, Zach;

Haagen, Blake(6); Wagley, Luke(7).

Win-Teague, Evan(4-2)  Save-Paxson, J.B.(3)  Loss-Haagen, Blake(2-2)  T-3:10  A-2280

HR UL - Keefer, Chad (6).

Weather: 85, p.cloudy, gusty

-www.RaginCajuns.com-

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