Colonels Take Early Lead, Hold Off Late Cajuns Rally 8-6
<! Louisiana will look to clinch the Sun Belt Conference Regular Season Championship this weekend at WKU ><blockquote><p align=justify>THIBODAUX – Nicholls State scored five runs in the bottom of second inning and was able to hold off a furious late rally by the 19th-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns 8-6 here Tuesday night at Ray E. Didier Field.
Louisiana (44-13) lost its first midweek game since April 12, when the Cajuns lost 3-1 at Lamar in Beaumont, Texas. The loss also marked the first time the Cajuns lost a game in which they outhit their opponent (38-1).
Tuesday night's game served as Senior Night for Nicholls State (22-28) as the Colonels will close out their season at Sam Houston State this weekend.
Nicholls State starting pitch Aaron Turano (2-0) earned the win, allowing two runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. Chris Greer earned his fourth save of the save, scattering four hits in 2 1/3 innings.
After a three-up, three-down first inning, Louisiana starting pitcher Buddy Glass (2-2) ran into a buzz saw in the second inning, allowing five runs on five hits with a walk in 1 1/3 innings. Five Cajuns pitchers combined to allowed three more runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Nicholls State struck first, scoring five runs on six hits in the bottom of the second inning, to take a 5-0 lead over the Cajuns. With one out, Thomas Bourne singled to right field and advanced to third on Michael Muscato's double to left field. Josh Clement's single to center field scored Bourne and Muscato to give the Colonels a 2-0 lead on Senior Night.
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After a Michael Roberts walk, Jose Higuera singled to center field, scoring Clement for a 3-0 Colonels advantage. Patrick Harris then singled to left field which allowed Roberts to score for the fourth run of the inning.
Brandt Sanders then replaced Glass on the mound, then allowed an RBI bunt single to Tim Daigle, giving Nicholls State a five-run lead. Bubba Bell walked, but was left stranded after Keith Delahoussaye filed out and Bourne struck out.
Louisiana finally got on the board in the third inning with Justin Merendino's solo home run to left field, cutting the Colonels' lead to 5-1.
Nicholls State increased its lead to six runs, 7-1, in the fourth inning. Delahoussaye's one-out RBI single to left field allowed Bell to score. After surrendering the run, Sanders gave way to junior Jeremy Collins on the mound.
With the bases loaded, Clement drew an RBI walk to plate Delahoussaye for the Colonels' second run of the inning.
Louisiana scored for the first time since the third inning, cutting the Colonels' lead to 7-2 in the sixth inning. McCarthy's sacrifice fly to right field allowed Morris to score from third. The Cajuns had runners at the corners with one out, but Hawke grounded into the 1-6-3 double play to end the Cajuns' scoring threat in the sixth.
The Colonels would match the Cajuns in the bottom half of the sixth with a run of their run to reclaim a six-run advantage, 8-2.
A four-run seventh inning gave the Cajuns new life, as they trimmed the Colonels' lead to 8-6. With one out, Coker singled to center field. Merendino and Landry both walked to load the bases. Coker later scored on Morris' sacrifice fly to center field. Tatford drew a two-out walk to load the bases again for the Cajuns.
McCarthy then singled through the middle, plating Merendino and Landry to cut the Colonels' lead to 8-5. Cockrell's RBI single through the left side scored Tatford for the fourth Cajuns run of the inning. Every batter in the Cajuns lineup batted in the seventh.
Louisiana had an opportunity to tie the game or take the lead in the eighth inning, but the Cajuns left the bases loaded as Tatford struck out to end the inning. That would be the last real threat the Cajuns gave the Colonels, as Louisiana finished 10-5 against Southland Conference schools.
Three Cajuns batters had at least two hits, while McCarthy drove in a game-high three runs. Cockrell finished 3-for-5 with an RBI.
Muscato paced the Colonels, going 3-for-5 with an RBI, while Clement drove in a game-high three runs as well.
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Re: Colonels Take Early Lead, Hold Off Late Cajuns Rally 8-6
This one hurts bad. We just let the regionals as host slip away.
Re: Colonels Take Early Lead, Hold Off Late Cajuns Rally 8-6
It did not hurt, because we were not going to host a regional if we would have won.
Re: Colonels Take Early Lead, Hold Off Late Cajuns Rally 8-6
Any loss hurts but to me it just hurts a little bit more when we are suppose to win.
Re: Colonels Take Early Lead, Hold Off Late Cajuns Rally 8-6
Yes all loses hurt but that one lose will not be the deciding factor for not receive a regional bid.
Re: Colonels Take Early Lead, Hold Off Late Cajuns Rally 8-6
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheFan
It did not hurt, because we were not going to host a regional if we would have won.
I beg to differ. Before the loss our chances of hosting were a hell of a lot better than after the loss.
You are right that one loss will not be the deciding factor, but the several losses that we have had this year to far inferior teams will play a larger role.
Having said that, I still think this is a very special team and will make a lot of post season noise no matter what regional we play in.
Re: Colonels Take Early Lead, Hold Off Late Cajuns Rally 8-6
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheFan
Yes all loses hurt but that one lose will not be the deciding factor for not receive a regional bid.
We could lose the rest of our games from here on out and we would still get an at large regional bid. The issue with losing to Nicholls has to do with hosting a regional.
Re: Colonels Take Early Lead, Hold Off Late Cajuns Rally 8-6
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheFan
Yes all loses hurt but that one lose will not be the deciding factor for not receive a regional bid.
Your right but, losing most of our games to teams with a losing record, high rpi's and weak strength of schedule is a deciding factor.
Re: Colonels Take Early Lead, Hold Off Late Cajuns Rally 8-6
Tell that to LSU A&M. They have many more losses to weaker teams than we do.Let's see, powerful Centenary, Southern, and UAB to mention a few. But the writing has BEEN on the wall with regards to the REGIONAL Tournament. Barring a Nuclear Attack; Tulane and LSU will host the Regionals before us, simply because of politics and money. ::x::
Re: Colonels Take Early Lead, Hold Off Late Cajuns Rally 8-6
That is my point with lsu playing well right now they are going to give them a regional a head of us. The only way we were going to get a regional this year is if tulane would have had an average year. (see 2000 when we beat tulane twice that year) lsu will also get a regional $$$$ and 7500.
