UL Sweeps Middle Tennessee, Catapults to 3rd in SBC
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Game 1
Tyler Frederick scored the go-ahead run and launched a home run to give Louisiana breathing room for the final three innings of a 6-4 win over Middle Tennessee in game one of a Saturday doubleheader at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.
With the win the Ragin’ Cajuns (27-16, 12-8 Sun Belt) captured the weekend series, the fourth consecutive weekend with a series victory. It’s also the eighth series win over the Blue Raiders (26-17, 14-9 Sun Belt) in 10 tries in Sun Belt action.
The two teams will wrap up the series with game two of the doubleheader beginning at approximately 3:15 p.m. Frederick and Jordan Poirrier tallied two RBI to lead the Louisiana offense.
T.J. Geith got the start, pitched 5 2/3 innings, scattered eight hits and picked up his fourth win of the season. Joey Satriano tossed the final 3 1/3 innings, shutting out the Blue Raiders while holding them to two base hits for his third save of the season.
Louisiana struck first scoring on a Poirrier sacrifice fly and a two-out single by Lance Marvel in the first inning.
The Blue Raiders strung four consecutive hits in the top of the second which resulted in runs scored by Justin Miller and Justin Guidry.
UL reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the second inning. Frederick led off with a walk and stole second. He then moved up on a groundout by Justin Robichaux and scored on a groundout by Greg Fontenot.
Porrier’s 10th home run of the season started the bottom of the third and upped the lead to 4-2.
Singles by Marvel and Alex Fuselier kept the pressure on and chased MT starter Chad Edwards. Edwards was charged with five runs on six hits over 2 1/3 innings.
Frederick greeted Guidry, who relieved Edwards, with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Marvel and increased the lead to 5-2.
Geith worked his second consecutive perfect inning, retiring MT in order in the fourth, and induced a double play from Brentz in the fifth inning to hold the three-run lead.
The Blue Raiders scratched for a pair of runs with timely two-out hitting in the sixth inning and Geith gave way to Satriano.
Frederick launched a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to give Satriano a two-run lead heading into the final three innings.
BASES NOTED: T.J. Geith picked up a decision for the second consecutive start, the first time since starts in the Miami University and Southern Miss series…The Cajuns improved to 20-9 vs. the Blue Raiders in Sun Belt regular season games… The Cajuns moved within two wins of assuring a winning record for the 2010 season…Louisiana picked up its 20th win of the season at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field – the 11th 20-plus win season at the facility in the Tony Robichaux Era and 22nd overall since the park opened in 1978…The Cajuns are now a season-high 11 games above .500 and have won 13 of the past 15 games – all in the second half of the season.
LINE SCORE
Louisiana 6, Middle Tennessee 4 (May 01, 2010 at Lafayette, La.) (Game 1)
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Middle Tennessee.... 020 002 000 - 4 10 3 (26-17, 14-9 SBC)
Louisiana .......... 212 001 00X - 6 9 1 (27-16, 12-8 SBC)
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Pitchers: Middle Tennessee/> - Edwards, Chad; Guidry, Justin (3); Whittaker, Kevin (6). Louisiana - Geith, T.J.; Satriano, Joey (6).
Win-Geith, T.J. (4-1) Save-Satriano, Joey (3) Loss-Edwards, Chad (4-2) T-2:36
HR UL - Poirrier, Jordan (10); Frederick, Tyler (3).
Weather: 79 degrees, overcast, S @ 10mph
Game 2
Louisiana used a two-run home run from Tyler Frederick and received stellar pitching efforts from a trio of pitchers to post a 2-1 win in the second game of a doubleheader with Middle Tennessee Saturday afternoon at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field and complete a three-game series sweep. The Ragin’ Cajuns (28-16, 13-8 Sun Belt) – who had already picked up a series victory for the fourth consecutive weekend with a win in game one of the twinbill – posted their third straight Sun Belt series sweep. UL has now won nine consecutive SBC contests. The sweep also moves the Ragin’ Cajuns into contention for the Sun Belt regular season title. UL is currently in sole possession of third place and only two games behind South Alabama for first place with nine games remaining. UL extended its regular season win streak over MT (26-18, 14-10 Sun Belt) to eight games and improved to 21-9 in SBC regular season action against the Blue Raiders.
Frederick’s home run, which came in the second inning, was his second of the doubleheader and proved to be all the offense the Cajuns would need.
Michael Cook turned in his second-longest outing in SBC play pitching five innings while holding the Blue Raiders to one earned run and five hits. Cook fanned four batters.
Taylor Hubbell worked the rest of the sixth inning after Cook was relieved following a Justin Jones double and did not allow a hit while working around one-out walk.
Dayton Marze closed out the game by tossing the final three innings to earn his second save of the season.
Louisiana has a week off from game action as the University administers final exams. The team will be back in action Friday-Sunday, May 7-9 in New Orleans against the Privateers at Maestri Field.
MT was able to keep the game close by getting an outstanding pitching performance from Eric Gilley. Outside of the Frederick home run he allowed no runs and only two hits over six innings.
The Blue Raiders made the Cajuns work for the sweep, though, getting traffic on the basepaths in the final two innings.
Stuart Meinhart was hit by a pitch from Marze to lead off the eighth then on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Tyler Burnett, Marze slipped while fielding the ball allowing Burnett to reach first base. Justin Miller then moved pinch runner Will Skinner and Burnett to second and third
MT attempted a squeeze bunt with Tyler Acker at the plate, but he couldn’t make contact and Chad Keefer and Frederick were able to catch Skinner in a rundown between third base and home plate. Acker then struck out looking to end the threat.
In the ninth, MT would get a baserunner with one out when Zach Hudson reached on a throwing error by Frederick. Marze was then able to induce a double play ball off the bat of Blake McDade to end the game – the sixth double play that the Blue Raiders grounded into in the series.
BASES NOTED: Tyler Frederick ended the doubleheader 2-for-4 with three runs scored, two home runs and four RBI…The Cajuns pitching staff earned a save in each end of the doubleheader, increasing the season total for saves to nine…Dayton Marze picked up his second three-inning save, his other coming at UALR on Saturday, April 17…The Cajuns pitching staff ended the series with a 2.00 ERA…The UL bullpen tossed 7 1/3 innings of scoreless, four-hit relief on Saturday.
LINE SCORE
Louisiana 2, Middle Tennessee 1 (May 01, 2010 at Lafayette, La.) (Game 2)
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Middle Tennessee.... 000 001 000 - 1 7 0 (26-18, 14-10 SBC)
Louisiana ........... 020 000 00X - 2 3 1 (28-16, 13-8 SBC)
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Pitchers: Middle Tennessee - Gilley, Eric; Palo, Daniel (7). Louisiana - Cook, Michael; Hubbell, Taylor (6); Marze, Dayton (7).
Win-Cook, Michael (3-2) Save-Marze, Dayton (2) Loss-Gilley, Eric (4-2) T-2:33 A-1348
HR UL - Frederick, Tyler (4).
Weather: 79 degrees, overcast, S @10mph
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