University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Nicholls State
Poirrier's Double Clinches Opener for UL
2/20/2010 3:49:00 AM | Baseball
Poirrier's hit drove home two runs and gave Louisiana a 3-2 lead making a winner out of Dayton Marze who pitched three innings of three-hit relief.
In the eighth inning the Ragin' Cajuns (1-0) forced the Colonels (0-1) to use three relief pitchers.
Louisiana and Nicholls State continue their season-opening series on Saturday at "The Tigue". First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. Justin Robichaux takes the mound for the Ragin' Cajuns while the Colonels send out junior college transfer Clint Dempster.
In what was a pitcher's duel through six complete, Nicholls had regained the lead in their half of the seventh taking advantage of a Cajuns error on a sacrifice bunt attempt.
Tristan Rogers laid down another sacrifice and Marze attempted to get Kasey Culverson out at third but his slide beat the throw. Marze forced a double play and ground out to escape major damage, but Culverson scored on the double play for a 2-1 edge.
Alex Fuselier drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth and Matt Goulas laid down a bunt for an infield single to set the stage for Poirrier's heroics.
Zach Osborne threw six innings for Louisiana, scattering four hits and striking out four. Jarret Dunnam lasted five innings for Nicholls, also scattering four hits.
UL collected its 11th consecutive win over Nicholls at "The Tigue" and improved to 13-3 in season openers under head coach Tony Robichaux.
Friday's game marked the first meeting between the two schools since Feb. 13, 2007 - the 2007 season opener.
The Colonels pushed across an unearned run in the second inning. Sam Konnoff reached base with two outs on a Poirrier throwing error. Two pitches later Brady Bourque singled to right center to bring home the game's first run.
Nicholls put runners on the corners with two outs in the fifth inning. Osborne induced a fly ball out off the bat of Adam Miley to keep the Colonels lead at 1-0.
Brian Bowman - who reached with a single to shallow right field - became the first of four straight Cajuns to reach base with two outs in the bottom half of the fifth. The fourth to reach was Fuselier who drew a bases loaded walk from Dunnam to tie the score at 1-all.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
