University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Western Kentucky
Hageman Outduels Hubbell in Opener
4/9/2011 2:00:00 AM | Baseball
A three-run inning by Western Kentucky was the difference in what otherwise was a pitcher's duel at Nick Denes Field on Friday evening in Bowling Green, Ky., as the Hilltoppers used it to their advantage to post a 5-1 win over Louisiana in a Sun Belt series opener.
The loss snapped a six-game win streak for the Ragin' Cajuns (17-12, 6-4 Sun Belt). The Hilltoppers (19-11, 7-3 Sun Belt) improved to 11-2 at home with the victory.
WKU began the bottom of the third inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases. Taylor Hubbell traded two outs for two runs as a sacrifice fly by Ryan Hutchinson and ground out by Logan Robbins scored the Toppers' runs.
The Cajuns weren't able to stay away from the three-run inning - which head coach Tony Robichaux emphasizes to his pitching staff - as Chris Bullard muscled an RBI single to shallow center to score Kes Carter and give WKU a 3-1 edge.
That proved to be enough cushion for Hilltoppers starting pitcher Justin Hageman who struck out 10 in his complete game effort.
Aside from the three-run inning, Hubbell nearly matched Hageman turning in a complete game effort of his own striking out six.
The two teams continue the series on Saturday with first pitch slated for 3 p.m. Joe Zimmermann (1-2, 4.23 ERA) will start for Louisiana and Tanner Perkins (6-1, 2.09 ERA) will start for Western Kentucky.
The game lasted one hour, 45 minutes as neither pitcher issued a walk and combined to throw 216 pitches.
Alex Fuselier posted his seventh multiple-hit game of the season to lead the Cajuns. He finished 3-for-4
Matt Rice and Carter led WKU with two hits apiece. Both would homer off of Hubbell for only the second and third home runs allowed by Hubbell in 55 2/3 innings.
Friday's outcome evened the all-time series in Bowling Green at 11-apeice.
Both teams posted leadoff singles in the first inning. No runs would score, though, as Hageman and Hubbell retired the next three hitters they faced.
WKU loaded the bases in the bottom of the second on a hit batsman, error by Greg Fontenot and infield single by Casey Dykes. Hubbell forced Jared Andreoli to fly out to Fuselier in center field to end the scoring opportunity.
Three consecutive one-out hits for the Cajuns led to their only run of the game in the third inning. A Fuselier double was followed in succession by singles from Fontenot and Jordan Poirrier which resulted in Fuselier crossing home plate for a 1-0 lead.
Western Kentucky grabbed the momentum for good with the three-spot in the bottom half of the third.
Hageman held his ground retiring the Cajuns in order in the sixth and seventh innings. At one point the freshman righty retired 12 of 13 he faced a streak which began in the fourth inning.
The Toppers increased the lead to 4-1 on a leadoff home run by Rice in the bottom of the fifth. Hubbell recovered and struck out the next three hitters he faced.
Pitching took over after that as the two starters combined to allow only four hits over the final 3 ½ innings of play. The Toppers finished off the scoring with a Carter home run to left field in the eighth inning.
BASES NOTED: The Ragin' Cajuns are appearing at Nick Denes Field for the first time since 2008...UL lost a Sun Belt series opener for the first time since opening weekend vs. La.-Monroe...Jordan Poirrier's RBI single in the third inning marked only the third run that Justin Hageman has allowed in the first six innings of a Sun Belt start (this was his fourth start)...The three-spot in the third inning by WKU was the 12th three-run frame allowed by Cajuns pitching...Louisiana fell to 3-7 in games allowing a three-run inning...The game time of one hour, 45 minutes was the shortest for the Cajuns this season, besting one hour, 55 minutes vs. UC Santa Barbara on March 12 in San Francisco...The Hilltoppers won the series opener from the Cajuns for the third straight season...The Cajuns haven't won a series at Nick Denes Field since 2001...Alex Fuselier extended his current hitting streak to four games...Fuselier's three-hit performance marked his second three-hit game of the season (went 3-for-3 vs. La.-Monroe on March 20).
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
