The Book: 2004 Baseball

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. - A three error fifth inning was the difference in game one of today’s doubleheader against the Furman Paladins at Moore Field.

In the fifth, Furman’s Nick Wajda reached second on an infield error before Andrew Green singled to put baserunners on the corners with no outs. Wajda scored on a throwing error before Green crossed on the third error of the inning for the Cajuns. Green’s run brought the Paladins lead to 6-2.

Kraig Schambough took the loss for Louisiana-Lafayette as the Cajuns loss their sixth game of the season and their first at home this season. Schambough (2-1) went eight innings giving up four earned runs on eight hits and striking out eight.

Sam Perry got the win for the visiting Furman Paladins. Perry (1-0) pitched five innings surrendering two earned runs on three hits while striking out a pair of Cajuns.

Green reached first on a bunt and swiped second to start the first before moving over to third on a ground out to short. Green crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly to right center that had two of the Cajuns outfielders crossed up.

Adam Massiatte singled to left and stole second to start the bottom of the third before Josh Landry took Perry deep to right center and gone, giving the Cajuns the 2-1 lead.

Craig Caudill hit a single through the right side to open the top of the fourth before Derek Norman singled to put baserunners on the corners for the Paladins. Caudill came in to score on Mathew Betsill’s single to the second base side knotting the contest at two apiece.

In the same inning, A.J. Hildreth bunted for a single that brought in a run giving Furman back the one-run lead. Betsill stole third and scored on a fielder’s choice to second which put Furman ahead 4-2.

Micah Cockrell doubled to center before Massiatte reached on an error moving the lead runner to third. Justin Merendino plated Cockrell on a fielder’s choice cutting the Furman lead in half 6-3.

Schambough sat the Paladins down in order in both the sixth, seventh and eighth stanzas.

Cockrell reached base on a Paladins error in the bottom of the seventh before advancing 90 feet on a Massiatte single to right center. The Cajuns; however, would not convert any runs in the inning stranding the two on base.

Betsill singled to left field to start the top of the ninth just before Thad Montgomery came on in relief of Schambough. Montgomery retired the next three batters in order to get out of the inning.

The tides would turn for the Cajuns in game two of the doubleheader. UL pounded out twelve hits and converted three runs in both the second and sixth innings en route to a 9-2 victory. The Cajuns improved to 10-6 with the showing in the seven-inning affair.

Cajuns starter Josh Kohrs got the win as the Cajuns improve to 10-6 on the season. Kohrs (2-0) pitched the full seven innings surrendering two runs on six hits while retiring eight batters at the plate.

Furman starter Kyle Funk took the loss for the Paladins pitching three and two-thirds innings allowing five runs on eight hits.

Dallas Morris knocked a bloop that fell for a double to the right side with two gone in the bottom of the first. Coach Tony Robichaux put on the hit and run with Phillip Hawke at the plate, which scored Morris giving the Cajuns the early 1-0 advantage.

Micah Cockrell reached second on an error and advanced to third on a Leonard Guerrero single to right in the bottom of the second. Justin Merendino stepped in and turned on a 1-2 pitch driving it deep to left field and gone pulling the Cajuns ahead 4-0.

The three-run shot was Merendino’s second homerun of the season.

In the same inning, Josh Landry singled to left and moved to second when Dallas Morris was plunked by a pitch. A double steal put runners on second and third, but the Cajuns would have to settle for three runs in the inning as Funk pitched out of the jam.

Furman shortstop A.J. Davidiuk singled to left before swiping second with no outs in the top of inning three, but Kohrs would strike out the next three ending the inning.

In the fourth, Derek Norman roped a single to center before the next batter, Dominic Franchini singled to the left side putting runners on first and second. Mathew Betsill walked to load the bases with no outs. Norman scored on a double play, which also put Franchini at third. Franchini crossed the plate on a Steven Hildreth single to second base pulling the Paladins to within two.

Landry doubled down the left field line and scored when Morris followed suit with a stand-up double of his own all with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. Landry’s run represented the fifth of the game for UL.

Funk was pulled in favor of Matt Klinker who got the last out in the inning for Furman.

Rodriguez started the bottom of the fifth with a single to center field before Brad Saloom walked on four straight offerings from Klinker. Adam Massiatte laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring position. Cockrell walked to load the bases. Guerrero singled up the middle, plating Rodriguez bringing the score to 6-2 favoring the home team. Guerrero’s single chased Klinker from the game in favor of Dan Washmuth.

Justin Merendino turned on a 1-2 pitch from Washmuth and singled into center driving in two more for the Cajuns.

Louisiana added one more when Morris walked with no outs to open the bottom of the sixth and came around to score on a throwing error after Hawke jammed a single to left.

Louisiana will face the Tigers of Texas Southern Tuesday night at Moore Field. The first pitch Tuesday night is set for 6:30 p.m.

LOUISIANA SI

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LOUISIANA La. — UL's baseball squad did what it’s supposed to do in a mid-week game here Tuesday night.

The Ragin’ Cajuns got solid pitching, steady defense and rapped out 14 hits including four home runs on the way to a 13-0 mauling of outmanned Texas Southern.

“We wanted to get a lot of people feeling good,” said Cajun coach Tony Robichaux. “You win on weekends when your bench is happy.”

The bench should be plenty happy after Tuesday’s win, since the non-starters went 4-for-8 at the plate with three homers, five RBI and four runs scored. A lot of that came from first baseman Rhett Buras, who entered the game in the sixth inning and had two-run homers in each of his two at-bats.

Dallas Morris and Justin Bourque also had home runs as part of the 14-hit attack, with Morris’ three-run third inning shot providing a 4-0 lead.

That was all the room that starting pitcher Brandt Sanders (1-1) and four relievers needed, with Cajun golfers second

Sanders throwing three perfect innings and fanning five and the relief quartet scattering three hits and striking out seven against the Tigers (3-16).

The Cajuns (11-6) also committed only one meaningless eighth-inning error, and will take a 10-1 Moore Field record into weekend games against Michigan and Harvard.

But Robichaux was unhappy with one key area. Despite the easy win, Cajun batters struck out 13 times in eight offensive innings.

“No matter who you play, that’s too many,” Robichaux said. “That can happen when you have a zone that wide. Our pitchers didn’t walk anyone and we didn’t have but the one error, and those are what lose games for you. We just have to cut our strikeouts down.”

The rest of the story

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA — You want big-time collegiate athletics? It doesn’t get much bigger than Michigan’s Wolverines.

You want perhaps the nation’s most prestigious academic institution? Try Harvard.

And, honestly, can you do much better than the Cajun culture?

Mix all those in with the great American sport of baseball, and you’ve got a heck of a three-day series at Tigue Moore Field this weekend.

The homestanding Louisiana squad will welcome Michigan (5-6) and Harvard (2-2) for a sort-of-round robin event beginning tonight when the Ragin’ Cajuns (11-6) meet the Wolverines in a 6:35 p.m. contest.

The Ragin' Cajuns will face the Crimson at 2:05 p.m. Saturday, with Harvard and Michigan playing in a 6 p.m. nightcap and also in a 9:30 a.m. Sunday brunch contest. UL Lafayette wraps up the weekend against Harvard at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

Cajun season and single-game tickets will be valid for both games of the weekend twinbills. In addition, Saturday is the first “ticket redemption” date of the year, with any unused Cajun baseball ticket redeemable for entry into Saturday’s two games.

The names are impressive, but Cajun coach Tony Robichaux knows that more than anything else the weekend games will help prepare his squad for a start to Sun Belt Conference play that is only seven days away.

“We still have a few decisions to make,” Robichaux said, “but I like where this team is right now. If we don’t take any steps back this weekend, I feel like we’ll be on track for next week.”

The Cajuns improved to 10-0 at Moore Field Tuesday with an easy 13-0 win over outmanned Texas Southern, and Robichaux got to take another look at several position players in addition to five pitchers.

The rest of the story

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

[Oldman]

baseball tonight everyone make it out to the ballpark(tigue)for some good baseball.....yes! a long afternoon, but good "stuff," awaits.

[Turbine]

Intrigue at the Tigue

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Cajuns’ bats come alive in 16-5 rout of Wolverines

LOUISIANA La. — For most of the 2004 season, Louisiana’s pitching staff had set a tone in Ragin’ Cajun victories. Friday night, the offense paid back the favor.

The Cajuns erupted for 17 hits and scored multiple runs in five out of eight innings in rolling past Michigan 16-5 in the first game of a weekend round-robin event at Moore Field.

Four runs in the first inning and two each in the second, fourth and sixth made things easy for starter Kevin Ardoin (3-1), who scattered nine hits and fanned seven in six-plus innings of work.

“Tonight was all about run support,” said Ardoin, who won his second straight start. “Sixteen runs makes it a lot easier to pitch.”

Phillip Hawke personally made it easier, with a three-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the second to set the tone for the runaway win. Dallas Morris also had a three-run homer among six runs batted in, and Justin Merendino added four hits and scored four runs.

“I like the way we’re swinging the bats right now,” said Cajun coach Tony Robichaux, whose squad had its second-highest run total and hit total of the year against the Wolverines (5-7). “We’ve asked our pitchers so many times to keep the other guys in check until we can get something going, so it was good to see us hit right off the bat.”

Michigan starter Jim Brauer (0-2) was the victim of the Cajuns’ early hitting barrage, allowing seven hits and seven runs, six earned, in two and two-thirds innings. But relievers Paul Hammond and Craig Murray also struggled, teaming to allow nine hits and nine runs.

“That felt wonderful,” said Hawke of the offensive surge. “We talk about our pitchers setting a tempo, but we want to be nine guys scoring the way we did tonight. When we do that, Kevin knows he can go out and challenge hitters.”

The rest of the story

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

[Pirogue]

1836 WAS THE ANNOUNCED ATTENDANCE????
It looked like half that, I really expected a bigger crowd at the game than what I saw.

Ardoin is phenomenal, but his stuff drops off after 90 or so pitches... IMHO

[snote]

you still in town?

[Pirogue]

Naw, I drove home right after the game... was in Lafayette for business, took the opp. to take my son to a game... got home at 1 a.m. veryt very tired

[NewsCopy]

GAME 1 Saturday

Hawke-led Cajuns blast Harvard

LOUISIANA La. — They’re charged with setting the stage for Louisiana’s baseball team, and the top of the Ragin’ Cajun lineup more than did its job here Saturday afternoon.

The top three in the Cajun batting order was perfect in its ultimate jobs — getting on base and scoring runs — through the first three innings, and that was more than enough for the Cajuns to roll to a 14-5 win over Harvard at Moore Field.

“It’s infectious,” said second baseman Justin Merendino, after had had four hits in the first five innings. “The leadoff guy is supposed to set the tempo, and if I hit the ball hard everybody else starts believing they can, too.”

Merendino, Josh Landry and Dallas Morris reached base three times in the first three innings and all came around to score each time as the Cajuns (13-6) bolted in front 10-2 and coasted home with their fourth straight win and sixth in the last seven games heading into a 1:30 p.m. contest against the Crimson today.

Of course, it helps to have a hot bat like Phillip Hawke behind that crew. The Cajun cleanup hitter was a power force for the second straight day with a two-run first-inning double and a game-breaking grand slam in the third.

“We’ve got it going now,” said Hawke of a Cajun offense that has produced 52 runs and 58 hits in the four-game win streak. Hawke has three homers and 10 RBIs in his last two games after a two-homer night Friday in the 16-5 win over Michigan.

That early outburst made things easy for Cajun starter Josh Kohrs (3-0), who scattered eight hits and fanned six while allowing two earned runs in seven innings.

“Josh did a good job of wiggle pitching,” said Cajun coach Tony Robichaux. “He didn’t have his best stuff, but he worked his way out of trouble. Fortunately, we got enough good things from our offense that let him challenge guys.”

Harvard coach Joe Walsh was disappointed in his team’s not responding to that challenge.

“We didn’t play well,” Walsh said. “No excuses. They (UL) were a lot more aggressive, and I didn’t like the way our pitchers went at it. They tried to nibble at it too much ... we didn’t play fearless.”

The rest of the story

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

[NewsCopy]

GAME 2 Sunday

Ragin’ Cajuns bury Harvard with offensive display


LOUISIANA La. — The offensive explosion continues.

A Louisiana baseball squad that had thrived on pitching and defense early in the season had 54 hits and scored 53 runs in three weekend games against Michigan and Harvard. Ten times in those games, the Ragin’ Cajuns scored three or more runs in an inning.

The final 23 runs and 22 hits came Sunday when the Cajuns rolled to a 23-9 win over the Crimson, a win that included nine extra-base hits, every starter getting at least one hit and seven different players collecting multiple hits.

“We’re cutting our strikeouts down and staying off bad pitches,” said Cajun head coach Tony Robichaux of his team’s recent offensive firepower. “Mostly, our hitters are all protecting each other.

“Anytime you can keep holes out of your lineup and have nine guys hitting, it’s going to wear out some pitchers.”

The firepower came at the expense of seven Harvard pitchers Sunday, with starter Mike Morgalis (0-2) allowing eight earned runs in the first three innings.

Morgalis’ teammates almost bailed him out.

After the Cajuns (14-6) scored five first-inning runs, the Crimson (4-4) battled back with a five-run fourth inning that tied the game 6-6. Frank Herrmann and Bryan Hale each had two-run homers in that uprising.

The rest of the story

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

[Oldman]

if you didn't make any of the baseball games this past weekend it was fun, now understand me well here okay! i realize mich and hardvard are not top notched! but, the guys looks like they have/are picking up coach hitting, and seeing live arms helps. this week will be a good test (TUESDAY NITE)lamar comes to town, they have a pretty good club, then conference starts this weekend Western Kent is in town, and it would be hugh to start off conference to get 2 or 3, we need all cajun fans out this week for some good baseball, and the luncheon is tuesday 11:30, conference room.....get all the latest info. from the coaches. it's great baseball is in the air. GEAUX CAJUNS.