Ragin' Cajuns Drop Final Game of Panther series
MIAMI, Fla.-Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team dropped the final game of a three-game conference road series 14-13 on Sunday afternoon against Florida International at University Park.
For the first time all season, the Cajuns’ bullpen faltered on the season. The Cajuns pen gave up a season high eight runs in the final 3.1 innings of play.
After UL jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, Florida International bounced back with a nine-run fifth inning to take an 11-8 lead. The Cajuns battled back and tied the game at 11-11, but a three-run seventh inning would prove to be the difference in the ballgame as the Cajuns could only get a pair of the runs back.
Offensively, the Cajuns collected 13 hits including four players with multiple hits in the game. William Long led the Cajuns with three hits on the afternoon, while Nolan Gisclair, Scott Hawkins and Jefferies Tatford all collected a pair of hits.
The Cajuns collected four homeruns on the afternoon. Gisclair, Hawkins, Long and Jonathan Lucroy all had homers in the game for the Cajuns.
Hawkins and Gisclair both added doubles in the game to go along with their homers.
For the first time in the series, the Ragin’ Cajuns were the first to score in the game. After FIU’s starting pitcher Walker Whitley struck out the Cajuns first batter, Gisclair homered to left field. The homerun was Gisclair’s sixth of the season and second of the series. Whitley escaped anymore damage from the UL batters as he struck out the next two batters.
The Golden Panthers answered in the bottom of the first inning. A pair of infield hits sandwiched around a hit batter loaded the bases for FIU with no one out. A line drive recorded the first out, but William Long’s pitch to second base was not in time to double up the runner. A walk tied the game at 1-1, but the Cajuns escaped the jam with no further damage as FIU fouled out to first base and flied to right field to end the inning.
The Cajuns got the run back in the top of the second. Scott Hawkins led off the inning with a double to right centerfield. Before FIU threw a pitch to the next batter, he balked, which moved Hawkins to third. A strikeout recorded the first out of the inning, but Devery Van De Keere flew out to deep right field to score Hawkins on the sacrifice fly. Matt Casbon drew a base on balls and moved to third base on a Devon Bourque single, but the Cajuns were not able to capitalize as the Golden Panthers recorded the final out of the inning on a ground ball.
The Cajuns used a four-run fourth inning to jump out to a five run lead. UL scored four runs on four hits and three Florida International errors to Hawkins led off the inning reaching base on a throwing error by FIU. Long singled to right field to give the Cajuns a pair of runners with no outs. Van De Keere laid down the sacrifice bunt to advance the runners—his second sacrifice hit of the game. After FIU recorded the second out of the inning, Bourque singled to left centerfield to plate two runners. Josh Logan used an infield single and an error to give the Cajuns runners at second and third. Gisclair reached base thanks to the third FIU error of the inning. Bourque scored on the error for the Ragin’ Cajuns. A bunt single by Tatford caught the Golden Panthers off guard and allowed the final run of the inning to score and push the UL lead to 6-1.
The Golden Panthers got a run back in the bottom of the fourth inning. Florida International led off the inning with a triple to right center field. Robichaux struck out the next batter for the first out of the inning. A throwing error by the Cajuns allowed the runner to score and the next batter to reach base safely. A fly ball recorded the second out of the inning. A single to right field gave FIU another hit on the afternoon, but Gisclair gunned the lead runner down from right field for the out at the plate ending the inning.
The Ragin’ Cajuns were able to able to answer in the top of the fifth inning. Hawkins led off the inning with a solo homerun to left center. Long followed Hawkins with a homerun of his own. Long’s homer was to left field.
It was the second time during the season the Cajuns collected back-to-back homeruns. The Cajuns had back-to-back dingers on Mar. 11 against South Alabama. Against the Jaguars, Gisclair and Lucroy went back-to-back in a 10-6 victory by the Cajuns.
Florida International scored nine runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take an 11-8 lead in the game. The fifth inning was the worst inning of baseball for the Ragin’ Cajuns all season. FIU used eight hits to score nine runs and made the Cajuns use four pitchers in the inning.
In the FIU fifth, Bryan Pullin singled up the middle to start things off. John Petika reached on a fielder's choice that got Pullin out at second. Tyler Townsend singled up the middle and Petika advanced to second. The two base runners advanced on a wild pitch. Luis Bautista walked on five pitches to load the bases. Raimy Fuentes flied out to centerfield for the sacrifice fly RBI. A double to left field plated two runners. Matt Pilgreen entered the game to pitch for Robichaux. DePhillip Mason pinch hit for and with a full count drew a walk. James McOwen singled to right field to score another run. Corey Lozano singled to right field to plate another run. Pullin, who led off the inning, singled through the right side, scoring another runner. Andrew Laughter entered the game to pitch for Pilgreen. A single by Petika singled just over the head of Laughter to load the bases. Townsend doubled down the right field line to clear the bases. Danny Farquhar came into the game in relief of Laughter. Farquhar ended the inning as he got Bautista to strike out.
Trailing 11-8, the Cajuns tied the game with three runs in the top of the sixth inning. Tatford singled to right field and Lucroy reached on a fielding error to start the inning Hawkins drew a four pitch walk to load the bases. A passed ball and a balk plated two runners and cut the FIU lead to just one run. Long walked to give the Cajuns runners on the corners. A fielder’s choice scored Hawkins from third and knotted the score at 11-11.
The game did not stay tied for very long. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Golden Panthers regained the lead. McOwen singled through the right side to start the inning. A fielder’s choice erased the lead runner, but left FIU with a runner on base. Pullin hit by pitch giving the Panthers a pair of base runners. Petika singled to centerfield to load the bases. Townsend singled to left field to score two runners and let FIU regain the lead. Bautista was hit by pitch to load the bases once again. Brent Solich entered the game to pitch for Farquhar. Solich induced a fly for the second out, but allowed the third run of the inning to score. Solich struck out the final batter of he inning, but after seven complete innings, the Cajuns trailed 14-11.
In the top of the eighth inning, Lucroy hit a homerun to deep left centerfield. The homerun was his ninth of the season and the third for Lucroy in the series with FIU. With one out, Long continued the inning with a single to second base. After Florida International retired the next batter, Matt Hicks pitch hit for Casbon. Hicks singled to left field giving the Cajuns runners on first and second. Dustin Miller pinch hit for Hicks. An error allowed Bourque to reach base safely and load the bases. Logan worked the count full and drew the base on balls to plate Long from third base. After the final out of the inning was recorded, the Cajuns trailed by just one run, 14-13.
The Cajuns shut down the Golden Panthers in the bottom of the eighth inning. A groundout to the shortstop recorded the first out of the inning. An infield single to short gave FIU a runner with just one out, but a double play to short stop ended the inning and sent the Cajuns into the ninth inning trailing by just one run.
Tatford led off the final frame in regulation with a four pitch walk. The Golden Panthers struck out the next Cajuns batter to give UL just two outs to work with. A fly ball to right field left the Ragin’ Cajuns just one more chance to tie the game or take the lead, but a ground ball ended the game.
The Ragin’ Cajuns will return to action with four home games. The Cajuns host Southland Conference opponent Lamar on Tuesday, Apr. 3 at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field. The Cajuns will then play host to Western Kentucky in a three-game weekend Sun Belt Conference series beginning on Friday night.
LOUISIANA SI
Quote
Originally Posted by J-Town Cajun
Re: Ragin' Cajuns Drop Final Game of Panther series
Re: UL vs FIU Series ......
