UL – Nolan Gisclair's (Marrero, La.) eighth-inning, two-RBI triple to straightaway center field scored the eventual game-winning run as the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns managed to muscle past the first-place ULM Warhawks 12-10 Friday night at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.

Louisiana (17-15, 8-8 Sun Belt) ran its win streak to five games and moved into fourth place in the Sun Belt Conference standings. ULM (20-12, 12-4 Sun Belt) is still clinging to first place in the league standings. The win also puts another career milestone in the sights for head coach Tony Robichaux who needs one victory to reach 500 wins as the Cajuns skipper.

All but one of the Cajuns in the starting lineup recorded a hit. Scott Hawkins (Collierville, Tenn.) went 3-for-5 with a RBI, while Tyler Benzel (Groveland, Fla.) recorded his first career home run, finishing the night 2-for-4 with three RBI. Gisclair finished 1-for-3 with two RBI but came up with arguably one of the biggest hits this season.

Likewise, eight different ULM batters registered a hit. Matt Laird, Jon Prevost and A.J. Siggers were each responsible for driving in two runs with Siggers finishing 3-for-4.

Senior Buddy Glass (Clermont, Fla.) was the victorious pitcher, lasting 3 1/3 innings. Glass (2-1) allowed three runs on two hits with six strikeouts.

ULM's Derek Ward (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season as he was touched for two runs on two hits in one innings of relief.

Louisiana's winningest pitcher, Hunter Moody (Clinton, La.), struggled mightily in his return to "The Tigue". Moody, the Sun Belt leader in ERA, was victimized for six runs on eight hits through five innings, striking out six batters in the no-decision.

Fueled by an offensive outburst Wednesday night, the Ragin' Cajuns continued to manufacture runs in the first inning. Josh Logan (Magee, Miss.) reached on a lead-off throwing error by shortstop Ben Soignier. With two runners aboard, Hawkins ripped a seeing-eye RBI single through the left side to give the Cajuns a 1-0 lead.

Chance Harst (Lafayette, La.) followed suit with a RBI single through the left side for a two-run cushion. The Cajuns concluded their three-run opening frame when Matt Hicks (Houston, Texas) drove in Hawkins on a double play.

ULM matched Louisiana's first inning with a three-spot in the top of the second. After scoring a run on a double play, the Warhawks used a two-out, two-RBI single from Matt Laird to knot the game at 3-3.

The Warhawks took their first lead of the night, 5-3, in the third. Dexter Fontenot led off with a solo home run to center to put the Warhawks ahead, 4-3. Nick Maragas later plated Ryan McMillan on a RBI sacrifice fly to left field.

Louisiana responded in the bottom of the third with four runs to regain a two-run lead, 7-5. Hawkins opened the inning with a single to center field before advancing to second on a throwing error by Laird. Hicks pulled the Cajuns to within one, 5-4, with a RBI single to center which scored Hawkins.

Benzel followed with a RBI double down the left field plating Harst for the tying run. Blaine LaFleur (Opelousas, La.) then executed a perfectly-laid bunt between the pitcher and the charging first baseman. LaFleur's bunt single brought home the go-ahead score, 6-5. Benzel also scored on the play thanks to a throwing error by first baseman Matt Collins.

The Cajuns' two-run lead lasted into the sixth inning before ULM tied the game again. Jon Prevost's two-RBI double down the left field line evened the score at 7 all. The bottom of the seventh saw another lead change as the Cajuns jumped ahead 8-7 on a William Long (Valrico, Fla.) solo home run to left-center.

Louisiana followed with two more runs in the seventh to extend its lead to three, 10-7. With one runner on base, Benzel crushed a two-run blast over the scoreboard to give the Cajuns the three-run upper-hand.

However, the Cajuns' third lead of the game didn't last long as the Warhawks matched Louisiana with a three-run eighth inning, tying the game at 10 apiece. Then, in the home half of the eighth inning, the Cajuns put two runners aboard with two outs as Gisclair walked to the plate. Gisclair ripped the 1-0 offering from Ward to deep center field, but McMillan was unable to hold onto the ball. Gisclair's triple scored Harst and Goulas to put the Cajuns on top for good, 12-10.

The heated Sun Belt Conference series continues Saturday with game two beginning at 2:05 p.m. at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field. Saturday's game will be televised on my KLAF-TV (Cox Channel 13) which will feature Chris Mycoskie (PxP) and Dan McDonald (Color).

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Chris Yandle


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