Ragin' Cajuns move up to 5th in Sun Belt

[NewsCopy]

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – It wasn't easy, but Hunter Moody (Clinton, La.) and Justin Robichaux (Crowley, La.) each etched their names in the record book to lead the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns to a 9-8 win over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Friday night at Nick Denes Field. Louisiana (25-25, 13-12 Sun Belt) moved into a fifth-place tie in the Sun Belt Conference standings following a loss by South Alabama (13-12) at FIU. Western Kentucky (25-23, 12-13 Sun Belt) dropped to seventh place. With the win, Louisiana's magic number to clinch a spot in the Sun Belt Baseball Championship decreased to three. Not to be overshadowed by the offense, Moody became the first Cajun and just the fourth Sun Belt pitcher to notch 30 career victories. Moody (8-2) lasted seven innings, allowing six runs – five earned – on 10 hits with five strikeouts. Robichaux earned a single-season record-setting ninth save as the sophomore gave up two runs on two hits in two innings. Robichaux also snapped a 0-for-25 slump at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with a game-changing grand slam in the fourth. Brian Bowman (Lafayette, La.), Josh Logan (Magee, Miss.), Tyler Benzel (Groveland, Fla.) and Blaine LaFleur (Opelousas, La.) also added two hits apiece. Louisiana battered WKU starter Matt Hightower (3-5) fairly well, running the junior left-hander from the game after only 3 1/3 innings. Hightower was tagged for nine runs on 10 hits, while walking four with one strikeout. Four Toppers recorded at least two hits, while Scott Kaskie went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run. In the second, Louisiana had a prime opportunity to take the lead, but two early hits went for naught as WKU kept the Cajuns off the scoreboard. WKU didn't balk at its second-inning opportunity, taking a 1-0 lead. With one out, Jeremy Coleman roped a double off the wall in left-center. Two batters later, Drew Morgan put the Toppers on the board with a RBI single to left for a 1-0 lead. A five-run third inning resulted in a 5-1 Cajuns' lead. LaFleur started the inning with a lead-off bunt single. LaFleur then moved into scoring position on a Bowman double to right-center. Matt Goulas (New Iberia, La.) drove in the tying run with a RBI groundout that scored LaFleur. Back-to-back one-out walks by Scott Hawkins (Collierville, Tenn.) and Chance Harst (Lafayette, La.) loaded the bases. Then, the freshman Benzel promptly put the Cajuns ahead for the first time with a RBI single to left for a 2-1 lead. Matt Hicks (Houston, Texas) continued the onslaught, clearing the bases with a two-RBI single for a 4-1 cushion. An infield RBI single from Logan concluded the Cajuns' five-run inning for a 5-1 lead. The Cajuns suffered a blow in the bottom of the third when Harst was on the losing end of a collision at first base. Wade Gaynor hit a chopper back towards the mound that Moody snagged, but misfired in his throw to first. Harst lunged for the ball, but Gaynor crashed into the sophomore and was eventually replaced by Robichaux. WKU eventually would cut into the lead later in the inning, but only managed one run as the score stood 5-2 in the visitors' favor. Harst's loss came back to haunt the Toppers rather than the Cajuns in the fourth. For the second straight inning, LaFleur led off with a single. After a Bowman single to left, the Cajuns had runners in scoring position on Goulas' sacrifice. Hawkins' bases-loaded walk brought to the plate Robichaux, who had been on a 0-for-25 slump. Ahead 2-1 in the count, Robichaux launched an opposite-field grand slam that fell just inside the right field bullpen. Robichaux's first hit since March 21 at UALR resulted in a 9-2 Cajuns lead. The game-changing grand slam would be the Cajuns' last hit under Robichaux's stand-up double in the ninth. Moody surrendered a four-spot to the Toppers in the sixth as WKU cut the lead to 9-6. Two-run home runs by Kaskie and Chad Cregar were responsible for the damage that trimmed the deficit to three runs. Louisiana's three-run lead dwindled to one in the ninth, 9-8, as the Toppers loaded the bases with two outs thanks in part to two costly fielding errors. However, Cregar grounded out to William Long (Valrico, Fla.) to end the game. Louisiana will continue its pursuit of clinching a spot in the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship when the Ragin' Cajuns battle Western Kentucky in game two on Saturday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. RaginCajuns.com Chris Yandle

[cajundiehard]

UNO may end up taking this thing - but the Cajuns will have something about that... at least ULM hopes so after yet another conference loss to Troy tonight.

As hard as it is to believe, UL is actually tied for 5th with USA at 13-12. You can also throw 4th place FAU (12-11) in an essential tie with UL and USA. and 2 games back of 3rd place Troy.

So basically 4th place is easily in reach and with an impressive finish, 3rd is not out of the question...

MUCH more work to do!

Couldn't believe my ears tonight with all the errors in the 9th... I don't understand what happened on the ball hit to Hicks with 1 out and runner on first. Jay said he ran the runner back to first then threw the ball to Whipple who dropped it and everyone was safe. I think they charged Hicks with the error on the throw. He later made a comment that if Whipple holds on the game is over?@#$!#????

Anyone understand what happened here?

Robe hit a batter to bring WK within run then kept his composure to get the final out with the bases jammed!

[GoneGolfin]

UNO may end up taking this thing - but the Cajuns will have something about that... at least ULM hopes so after yet another conference loss to Troy tonight.

New Orleans is an at-large #2 seed if the season ends today. They are playing their best baseball of the year now.

Brian

[NewsCopy]

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Five walks allowed by Louisiana pitchers were responsible for nearly half of Western Kentucky’s offensive production, while Matt Ridings held Ragin’ Cajuns to four hits for an 11-4 Hilltoppers victory Saturday at Nick Denes Field. Louisiana (25-26, 13-13 Sun Belt) fell into a sixth-place tie with WKU (26-23, 13-13 Sun Belt), while the Toppers denied the Cajuns in their first opportunity to win the SBC series. A victory by Louisiana on Sunday would result in the Cajuns’ first SBC series win at WKU since 2001. Western Kentucky hurler Matt Ridings kept Louisiana’s offense quiet for nearly eight innings. Ridings (9-2) allowed three runs on four hits – two of the four were home runs – with nine strikeouts. The rest of the story