University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
New Orleans
UL Overtakes UNO in Middle Innings
5/8/2010 3:00:00 AM | Baseball
After a slow start through three innings, Louisiana piled up eight runs over the middle frames to take control and pull away for a 16-7 win over New Orleans Friday evening in the opener of a three-game Sun Belt series at Maestri Field.
The Ragin' Cajuns (29-16, 14-8 Sun Belt) picked up their 10th consecutive Sun Belt victory and won for the 14th time in the past 16 meetings at Maestri Field against the Privateers (11-32, 2-21 Sun Belt).
Alex Fuselier went 4-for-4 and posted five RBI to lead the offensive charge for Louisiana - his third game this season with five RBI. Jordan Poirrier went 3-for-5 - all three hits for extra bases - and tacked on three RBI.
The two teams continue the series on Saturday at 4 p.m. T.J. Geith will get the start for the Cajuns and the Privateers will counter with Joe Zimmerman.
The Privateers scored first, getting a run on a Rodarrick Jones sacrifice fly in the second inning. A Mike Petello solo home run in the third increased the UNO lead to 2-0.
The first five Cajuns to pick up a bat in the fourth inning reached base and the result was three runs before an out was recorded.
Poirrier led off with a double to right center, Chad Keefer walked and Tyler Frederick was hit by a pitch. Lance Marvel singled into left field to score Poirrier with the Cajuns' first run. Fuselier followed with a double down the right field line to score Frederick and Keefer and give UL the lead for good, 3-2.
Louisiana added a Greg Fontenot sacrifice fly to push across another run before the frame expired to make it 4-2.
UNO got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fourth when Morris posted a solo home run down the left field line.
The Ragin' Cajuns created breathing room in the fifth inning when back-to-back home runs - a two-run job by Poirrier and solo shot by Keefer - produced three quick runs for a 7-3 edge.
Marvel would later score on a throwing error by Nick Schwaner and the Cajuns lead grew to 8-3.
Zach Osborne began to throw scoreless frames and Louisiana added eight runs over the final three frames.
Osborne posted the victory, his eighth of the season. It wasn't a typical Osborne start, though, as the Privateers got three home runs off of him and five earned runs were charged to the righty.
BASES NOTED: The Cajuns current 10-game win streak in Sun Belt play is the longest since the 2006 squad won the same amount...Louisiana's run and hits total were the second-highest tallies of the season...With the victory the Cajuns are guaranteed an overall winning mark...Six different Cajuns scored at least two runs...Chad Keefer, Lance Marvel and Jordan Poirrier each scored three runs...With FAU's win over South Alabama the Cajuns are now only one game back in the loss column for first place in the Sun Belt standings.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
