University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Middle Tennessee
Louisiana Draws Even With MT
5/15/2011 2:00:00 AM | Baseball
A three-run home run by Matt Goulas and dominant pitching performance from Jordan Nicholson led Louisiana to a 4-3 victory over Middle Tennessee on Saturday at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field that evened the weekend series with the Blue Raiders.
Goulas' blast cleared the left field fence in the sixth inning and erased a 2-0 deficit. The Ragin' Cajuns (28-23, 15-11 Sun Belt) added an insurance run in the seventh inning on a Jordan Poirrier RBI single.
Nicholson retired seven of the final eight hitters he faced after Goulas' homer capping off a string in which he sat down 21 of the final 23 Blue Raiders he faced.
After Justin Guidry's solo home run with one out in the ninth inning ended Nicholson's attempt at back-to-back complete games, Caleb Kellogg worked around an infield single by retiring the final two hitters he faced for his fourth save of the season.
Louisiana ended a three-game losing streak and with La.-Monroe's win over Troy kept alive hopes of repeating as Sun Belt champions. The Cajuns trail Troy and FIU (18-8 SBC) by three games for the league lead with four games remaining.
The Ragin' Cajuns and Blue Raiders (17-34, 8-18 Sun Belt) conclude the weekend series on Sunday at 1 p.m. UL will honor its 13-member senior class and recognize Spring 2011 graduates in a pregame ceremony.
Nicholson limited MT to five hits in 8 1/3 innings of work and struck out six. He improved to 5-2 with the victory (2-1 in Sun Belt games).
Hunter Adkins pitched well for the Blue Raiders surrendering just four hits in six innings of work. However, one of those hits was Goulas' round tripper that led to three runs. He fell to 1-9 with the defeat.
Mike Petello singled down the right field line in the seventh inning to stretch his season-best hitting streak to 14 games.
Greg Fontenot's sacrifice bunt in the seventh inning which moved Alex Fuselier into scoring position for Poirrier's RBI single, established a new single season mark for sacrifices. It was his 16th sacrifice bunt which eclipsed Kyle Olasin's mark of 15 set last season.
The Cajuns will turn to T.J. Geith (5-4, 4.97 ERA) on Senior Day to capture the series win over the Blue Raiders. Middle Tennessee is scheduled to throw Eric Gilley (4-4, 5.45 ERA).
A Will Skinner double and Hank LaRue single to lead off the bottom of the second inning led to a pair of early runs for the Blue Raiders. Skinner scored and LaRue advanced to third base on a Trent Miller double, then the MT lead moved to 2-0 on a Ryan Ford grounder back to Nicholson.
The Ford groundout was the first of 13 consecutive batters retired by Nicholson who settled into a groove after the Miller double.
Adkins held UL hitless through 3 1/3 innings until a one-out single by Lance Marvel in the fourth inning gave the hosts their first hit of the night.
Marvel's hit gave UL two runners aboard because in the previous at bat Petello reached on a throwing error by MT catcher Dain McNabb on a strikeout. A wild pitch moved Marvel and Petello to second and third base, but Adkins escaped as Goulas flied out to center field.
Chase Compton singled to start the bottom of the fifth and advanced to second on a Jordan Bourque sacrifice. Back-to-back fly outs by Alex Fuselier and Fontenot allowed Adkins to keep the shutout intact.
Adkins was one out away from carrying the shutout into the seventh inning, but a hit by pitch and walk with two outs set the stage for Goulas' heroics. The New Iberia native lofted a 2-0 pitch into the pine trees in left field for his second home run of the season and UL took a lead that stood.
BASES NOTED: UL has now gone 22 consecutive Sun Belt series without being swept, a streak that dates back to April 2009...The Cajuns improved to 19-8 at "The Tigue" moving within one win of recording the 12th season of 20-plus wins at the facility in the Tony Robichaux Era...The Cajuns played their 17th one-run contest, improving to 10-7...For the 34th time in 51 games the Cajuns pitching staff held the opponent to five runs or less (24-10 record)...Louisiana played its 21st error-free game (15-6)...Since returning to the weekend rotation on April 30 vs. UALR, Jordan Nicholson is 2-0 and has held opponents to 16 hits in 22 2/3 innings pitched...Opponents are hitting a paltry .195 off of Nicholson in his second stint as a member of the weekend rotation...Caleb Kellogg picked up his fourth save, overall, and his third at "The Tigue"...In nine appearances on his home mound this season, Kellogg has given up only eight hits in 13 2/3 innings and has held opposing teams to a .163 average...Jordan Poirrier's RBI single in the seventh inning marked his 50th RBI of the season giving him back-to-back seasons of 50-plus RBI (56 in 2010)...The Cajuns and Blue Raiders are the top two teams in the Sun Belt in double plays turned and with five turned in the series MT has increased its lead over UL to 59-49 in that category...Sunday's game will mark the final appearance at "The Tigue" for 13 Ragin' Cajuns seniors, a group that includes: Josh Bailey, Randall Bulliard, Michael Cook, Greg Fontenot, T.J. Geith, Matt Goulas, Taylor Hubbell, Lance Marvel, Ryland Parker, Mike Petello, Jordan Poirrier, Joey Satriano and Trask Switzenberg.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
