University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
FIU
Cajuns Use Patience to Turn the Table on FIU
4/16/2011 2:00:00 AM | Baseball
Louisiana's patience at the plate turned the tide on FIU and starting pitcher Phil Haig in the fourth inning then in the fifth inning Jordan Poirrier took the lead from the Panthers with a go-ahead home run and the Cajuns never looked back in a 7-3 victory at FIU Baseball Stadium in Miami on Friday.
Haig tossed only 40 pitches in the first three innings and was spotted a 3-0 lead. Then the Cajuns (20-14, 8-5 Sun Belt) forced him to throw nearly that many - 39 total - in the fourth inning alone and drew a run on a bases loaded hit by pitch of Michael Strentz.
That workload seemed to wear down Haig as he came back in the fifth inning and issued one-out walks to Greg Fontenot and Mike Petello.
Poirrier then delivered the knockout punch when he launched a three-run homer to the opposite field vaulting UL into a 4-3 lead and sending Haig to the bench.
Doubles from Petello and Lance Marvel in the seventh inning added two insurance runs and the scoring was capped off when Fontenot scored on a bases loaded wild pitch in the ninth inning.
Joey Satriano tossed three scoreless innings to lock up the victory which puts the Cajuns one win away from clinching the series.
Louisiana and FIU (20-16, 5-8 Sun Belt) continue the series with the middle game on Saturday at 5 p.m. (CDT). The Cajuns will send Joe Zimmermann (1-2, 3.74 ERA) to the mound and he'll be opposed by R.J. Fondon (1-4, 3.97 ERA).
Perhaps the most creditable performance on the night was the effort of Taylor Hubbell. The Cajuns starting pitcher surrendered single runs in the first three innings, but stayed strong and over the next three innings held the Panthers hitless to notch his best road outing of the season.
Hubbell worked six innings and earned his fourth victory. Haig, who exited after 4 1/3 innings, was charged with the loss.
Poirrier notched a game-high three RBI and Petello collected two doubles. The Cajuns worked FIU pitching for nine walks and all four hits went for extra bases.
The Panthers grabbed an early lead as Pablo Bermudez led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk and later scored on a Martinez ground out to third base.
The lead grew by one run the next inning when Hubbell's first offering was driven over the left field wall by Henry. The Panthers got the same result to start the third, as a solo home run by Bermudez to lead off the inning increased the lead to 3-0.
Haig walked one, struck out three and held UL scoreless over the first three innings.
The Cajuns showed patience at the plate in the fourth inning and began driving up the pitch count on Haig. A total of 39 pitches were thrown by Haig in the inning and the Cajuns benefited as they drew three straight walks with two outs.
UL was able to cash in on Haig's free passes when Strentz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded forcing home Marvel, who began the walk parade, and cutting the FIU lead to 3-1.
Haig continued to have control problems in the fifth inning and the Cajuns made him pay. After one-out walks to Fontenot and Petello, Poirrier drove a pitch out of the park and sent Haig to the bench.
Hubbell retired 10 straight FIU hitters beginning in the fourth inning. The only hitter he did not retire in his final three innings of work was Mike Martinez who was hit by a pitch with two outs in the sixth inning.
BASES NOTED: Louisiana turned a double play for the third straight game, notching two Friday night...The Cajuns have turned eight double plays in the three-game stretch...UL improved to 15-0 when leading after six innings...The pitching staff held the opposition below five runs for the 23rd time in 34 games....The Cajuns lead the all-time series 23-21 and trimmed FIU's advantage at FIU Baseball Stadium to 13-12...The win assures the Cajuns of their 18th consecutive Sun Belt series without being swept...Head coach Tony Robichaux is now three wins shy of No. 600 as Cajuns skipper...Robichaux is now 597-396-1 managing from the Cajuns dugout in his 17th season...UL picked up a victory for the 12th time in the past 16 outings...Mike Petello picked up his sixth multiple-hit game in Sun Belt play...Joey Satriano's three inning scoreless relief effort marked the 14th time this season that the bullpen held the opponent scoreless in multiple innings.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
