University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
McNeese State
Two-Out Hitting Sends Cajuns Past Cowboys
4/13/2011 2:00:00 AM | Baseball
Coming off a weekend where the opponent produced two-out hits for runs Louisiana had its fair share in a 12-3 victory over McNeese State Tuesday evening at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.
The Cajuns (19-13) registered three hits with two outs which produced five runs in the third inning and allowed Louisiana to break free from a 2-all tie and march on to an easy victory. In all, Louisiana produced six hits in two-out situations which led to eight runs.
The win improved the Ragin' Cajuns to 7-0 on Tuesday and extended the win streak over McNeese State (17-18) at "The Tigue" to seven games.
UL topped McNeese for the ninth time in the past 10 meetings, overall.
Tuesday's game was the lone one for the Ragin' Cajuns in the current string of 10-of-11 games on the road.
Louisiana plays the first of six consecutive road contests on Wednesday in Natchitoches against Northwestern State. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Brown-Stroud Field. UL is scheduled to start Randall Bulliard and NSU is expected to start Joe Scanio.
Jordan Nicholson gave up two runs in the first inning only to bounce back and hold the Cowboys to one over his final six innings. He threw seven innings holding McNeese to three runs and eight hits for his third victory of the season.
Tyler McDonald was charged with seven (two earned) of the Cajuns' 12 runs in 2 2/3 innings and took the loss. It was just the second collegiate appearance for the freshman.
Five Cajuns posted multiple-hit games to pace an attack that produced 15 base hits. Jordan Poirrier and Mike Petello each registered three-hit games. Poirrier tallied a game-high three RBI.
Alex Fuselier led off the game with a solo home run which extended his hitting streak to seven games. Fuselier finished the night 2-for-4 with three runs scored.
The scoring began in the first inning. McNeese loaded the bases on back-to-back singles and a hit batsman. A run would cross on a double play ball then Renny Weber singled up the middle to score Jace Peterson with the second run.
Fuselier's leadoff homer opened the bottom of the first inning and produced UL's first run. Greg Fontenot followed with a single up the middle and later scored on a Petello triple to even the score at 2-all..
Nicholson settled in and posted zeros over the next five innings, limiting the Cowboys to just three hits. The Cajuns began to pull away from the Cowboys in the third inning as a one-out error by second baseman Trey Rickrode came back to cost the visitors five unearned runs.
After Poirrier lined out for what would have been the third out, a bases-loaded single by Daniel Nichols that scored Fontenot and Petello gave UL the lead for good. Hits from Jordan Bourque and Michael Strentz tacked on three additional runs upping the lead to 7-2.
After chasing McDonald that inning, the Cajuns would chase reliever Jaden Dillon in the fourth inning.
Four consecutive singles to begin the inning resulted in a run, loaded the bases and prompted the Cowboys to switch to Phil Parcell. Lance Marvel grounded into a double play, but Fontenot was able to score increasing the lead to 9-2. UL reached double figures in runs when Bourque registered an infield single allowing Poirrier to score.
The Cajuns stretched the lead to 11-2 when Fuselier advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt by Parcell and rounded third on a two-out RBI single by Poirrier.
The scoring wrapped up in the seventh with the squad's exchanging single runs.
Back-to-back base hits to start the inning - a double by Matt Henry and single by Tyler Park - produced McNeese's run. Pinch hitters Matt Goulas and Ryan Leonards drew walks to start the Cajuns half of the inning then Poirrier picked up his third RBI single of the contest singling home Goulas off reliever Ryan Sampere.
BASES NOTED: The Cajuns and Cowboys met for the 145th time on the diamond, the second-most played series in school history (behind 146 vs. UNO)...UL upped its all-time series lead to 84-61...The Cajuns are 14-4 at "The Tigue" against McNeese under Tony Robichaux...The crowd of 3,407 increased the season total attendance to 56,215 and moved Louisiana within 1,437 fans of reach 1 million in "Tigue" Moore Field history...The Cajuns recorded their seventh double-digit run total and first since scoring 10 at Arkansas State March 27...UL reached double digits in base hits for the 13th time, improving to 12-1 when doing so...Alex Fuselier's leadoff home run marked the second time this season he's accomplished the feat...Fuselier began the Saturday game of the FAU series with a solo shot...In his first two collegiate starts, McNeese starter Tyler McDonald has surrendered nine unearned runs...For the 22nd time in 32 games UL pitchers held the opposition below five runs...The Cajuns are now 13-4 at "The Tigue" this season and moved within two wins of recording a winning mark at the facility for the 16th consecutive season.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
