University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
No. 20 California
Cajuns Don't Give in to Early Deficit
3/12/2011 5:30:00 AM | Baseball
A split second faster on a double play relay throw and the inning in which No. 20 California built a sizeable early lead in a 7-6 win over Louisiana may have not happened and the outcome might have been different for the Ragin' Cajuns in the opening game of the Cal Baseball Classic at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
And if umpires and had not ruled that the relay throw to first base was late the outcome might have been different for UL starting pitcher Taylor Hubbell, the player who initiated the attempted twin killing in the bottom of the second inning.
A leadoff single and one-out single gave the 20th-ranked Bears (8-4) a pair of baserunners. And instead of heading to the dugout unscathed, Hubbell and the Cajuns (7-6) had to stay on the field and watch Cal pick up game-changing base hits.
A double by Mitch Delfino scored the game's first two runs and Cal led 2-0. An Austin Booker walk and infield single by Vince Bruno loaded the bases.
Marcus Semien then delivered a single through the right side scoring an additional two runs and in a game that possibly could have been scoreless after two innings, Cal led 4-0.
Louisiana continues play in the Cal Baseball Classic at AT&T Park with a contest against UC Santa Barbara at 1 p.m. (CST) Saturday. Jordan Nicholson makes his first weekend start in a Cajuns uniform and he'll be matched up against UCSB's Matt Vedo.
An RBI single and run which scored on an error in the fourth inning increased the Bears lead to 6-0.
After an RBI single by Devin Rodriguez in the fifth inning plated Cal's seventh run, the Cajuns responded in the top of the sixth inning when Jordan Poirrier followed up back-to-back walks issued to Ryan Leonards and Alex Fuselier with a double to left center to put the Cajuns on the scoreboard with a pair of runs.
The Cajuns continued to inch closer in the seventh inning. A leadoff walk by Michael Strentz and one-out single by Leonards put two aboard then Fuselier singled to left field to score Strentz and cut the lead to 7-3.
After Leonards and Fuselier moved up to second and third base on a failed pickoff attempt by Cal reliever by Logan Scott, Mike Petello singled through the right side to bring them home and trim the deficit to 7-5.
In the eighth inning an RBI triple by Strentz pulled the Cajuns within one run of an incredible comeback.
The comeback was halted after reliever Matt Flemer recovered after Strentz's triple by striking out pinch hitter Trask Switzenberg and Leonards. Felmer then retired the Cajuns in order to finish off the save.
Erik Johnson posted the win for Cal, tossing six innings of three-hit baseball. Hubbell was handed his first loss of the season after allowing seven runs (six earned) in four innings.
The Cajuns bullpen stood tall against the 20th-ranked squad, holding the Bears scoreless and to just four hits over the final four innings of play.
Poirrier and Petello led UL with two RBI apiece and Delfino and Semien were the Bears' top run producers with two RBI also.
BASES NOTED: Friday's game marked the first meeting between the two schools...Louisiana played in the State of California for the first time since the 1991 squad played in a three-game series at Fresno State...The Cajuns were in the first base dugout, being the designated visiting team, but will be the home team and occupy the San Francisco Giants dugout on the third base side for Saturday's and Sunday's games...AT&T Park is the fourth MLB park the Cajuns have appeared in - UL played games in the Astrodome (1999 Super Regional at Rice), Minute Maid Park (2002 & 2003 Astros College Classic) and Metrodome (2005 Metrodome Classic).
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
