The Book: 2004 Baseball

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Cajuns escape Demons in 11-inning affair

LOUISIANA La. — On the box score, Kraig Schambough was the winning pitcher and Josh Landry had the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 11th inning.

Both deserved their accolades here Wednesday night as UL rallied for a 5-4 victory over Northwestern State, but the plate performance of Kevin Preau and the pitching of Brandt Sanders were just as important in the Cajuns’ 10th win in their last 13 games.

Preau had a two-out home run in the fifth inning for the Cajuns’ first run after the Demons had bolted out to a 4-0 lead, and put both the tying run in the ninth inning and the winning run in the 11th into scoring position with sacrifice bunts.

And Sanders went the middle six and one-third innings, retiring 11 straight batters in allowing only three hits and finishing with eight strikeouts, in giving his squad exactly what coach Tony Robichaux asked — a chance for his offense to come around.

“Sanders kept us there and gave us a chance to win,” Robichaux said. “And Preau got us going and was then able to get the bunt down, which we didn’t do earlier.”

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

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LOUISIANA Là — Kraig Schambough says it was just a matter of time.

University of Louisiana head coach Tony Robichaux says it was getting him back to a comfort zone.

Whatever the reason, the Ragin’ Cajun senior right-hander has found his stride in his past two appearances, showing the form that made him one of the Sun Belt Conference’s dominant hurlers during the latter half of the 2003 season.

“My windup’s better now and my arm’s feeling better,” Schambough said after picking up his second straight relief win Wednesday night against Northwestern State. “Mostly, it’s just getting in a groove.”

Against the Demons, he came into the game with one out in the ninth inning and retired all five batters he faced — a fly ball followed by two ground outs and two strikeouts — as the Cajuns rallied for a 5-4, 11-inning victory.

“He just did what he does,” said outfielder Josh Landry, whose 10th-inning single plated the winning run and boosted Schambough to 5-1 this year. “He comes in and gets guys out and gives us a chance to win.”

Exactly one week ago, he also entered the game in the ninth inning against Middle Tennessee with a tie game and nobody out and worked out of a bases-loaded situation. He then added five more pressure-packed innings before the Cajuns finally won a 14-inning 6-5 decision.

The Carencro product was part of the Cajuns’ starting staff earlier this season, but has been much more effective in his regular role out of the bullpen in recent weeks. His season ERA is at 4.23, but in his six relief appearances his ERA is 1.88 (14 1/3 innings, four runs, three earned runs).

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

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LOUISIANA Là — New Mexico State is the Sun Belt Conference’s leading offensive team coming into this weekend’s key league series against Louisiana.

The big-swinging Aggies are hitting .319 as a team and have 78 home runs in 34 games along with a slugging mark of .600 — a full 100 slugging points ahead of a Ragin’ Cajun squad that has 33 homers in 28 games.

But when the Cajuns (19-9, 4-2 Sun Belt) host the Aggies (24-9-1, 4-2) beginning tonight, it’s the Cajun squad that may have the advantage at the plate.

The numbers don’t lie ... get nationally-ranked New Mexico State away from the rarefied air and prevailing winds in Las Cruces, and the Aggies are more than mortal.

In 24 home games, NMSU is hitting .353 as a team with 70 home runs and a .700 slugging mark in compiling a 20-4 record at Presley Askew Field. The Aggies get one home run every 11.8 at bats in their home park.

But in their 10 road games this year, the Aggies are 4-5-1 and are hitting .238 with only eight homers, and are getting a homer every 43 at bats.

That doesn’t mean the Aggies won’t be dangerous when the three-game series begins tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Moore Field. But it does mean that the Cajuns don’t need to alter a formula that has resulted in 10 wins in their last 13 games.

“Our guys are not going to go out and try to out-number them,” said Cajun assistant coach John Szefc. “That’s not productive. It doesn’t matter who we play, we’re going to take our game plan and do what we do. If we pitch and play defense, we’ll be fine.”

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

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NMSU   Tigue Moore Field   UL 1   11 runs on 11 hits with no errors and a complete game from Kevin Ardoin prove to be efficiency without deficiency.   11

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E Aggies 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0     1 7 2 Ragin' Cajuns 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 6 x   0     11 11 0

Louisiana Là - The Cajuns went deep four times and Kevin Ardoin pitched a dandy as the Ragin’ Cajuns rumbled to an 11-1 win over conference foes the New Mexico State Aggies. The Cajuns hit consecutive homeruns in the third after Phillip Hawke set the tone early with a three-run jack in the bottom of the first.

Hawke drove in the first three runs of the game in the opening stanza with a line drive that left the yard in a hurry. Hawke’s eighth homer on the year came after Justin Merendino worked his way on with a walk and took second on a Josh Landry single to the left side to start things for Louisiana-Lafayette.

Landry and Justin Bourque led off the bottom of the third with back-to-back homeruns to claim a 5-1 lead for the home team and put the game out of reach for the Aggies.

Kevin Ardoin tossed a complete game being touched up for only one run while scattering seven hits through the nine innings. Ardoin (4-1) cruised helping the Cajuns to improving to 5-3 overall in Sun Belt action.

The loss went to NMSU’s Dustin Cameron who gave up five runs on six hits through the first seven innings of baseball. Cameron (1-2)’s loss came as the tenth on the season for the Aggies.

Ardoin sat the Aggies 1-2-3 in the top of the first.

Adrian Ballesteros homered in the top of the second to pull the Aggies to with two.

Ardoin retired the Aggies’ side in order in the top of the third.

New Mexico State threatened in the top of the fourth when Billy Becher dropped a one-out double into left before Ballesteros walked putting runners on first and second now with two gone. Ardoin employed his strikeout pitch to get the third out in the inning swinging away.

Cameron got one strikeout helping to sit the Cajuns side in order in the bottom of the fifth.

Ardoin followed suit seating the Aggies in order in the top of the next frame.

New Mexico State loaded the bases but couldn’t score in the seventh. Mark Aranda singled to right before Emory Davies walked on a full a count. Gavin Monjaras hit a bloop that fell for a single to load the bases. Ardoin pitched out of the jam getting a strikeout and a groundout up the middle to end the inning.

The Cajuns added six runs in the eighth highlighted by Merendino’s sixth homerun of the season. The two-run shot over the leftfield wall ended any doubt regarding the outcome of the game.

These same two clubs will play again tomorrow at 2:05 p.m. before the series wraps up on Easter Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. matinee.

LOUISIANA SI

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Cajuns blast New Mexico St. in opener

Louisiana Là — Home runs were flying out of Moore Field on a regular basis Friday in the opening game of Louisiana’s Sun Belt Conference series against New Mexico State.

But in contrast to their eye-popping season numbers, it wasn’t the Aggies that spent their Friday evening trotting around the bases.

The host Cajuns tied their season high with four home runs, three in the first three innings, and scored seven runs on those shots in rolling to an 11-1 victory and within percentage points of first place in the league race.

Louisiana (20-9, 5-2 Sun Belt) got a three-run first-inning homer from Phillip Hawke and never looked back after Josh Landry and Justin Bourque had back-to-back homers off NMSU starter Dustin Cameron (5-3) to lead off the third inning.

That was plenty for junior right-hander Kevin Ardoin (4-1), who kept the league’s top hitting club off balance the entire evening. The Aggies (24-10-1, 4-3), who are ranked 30th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll, got their only run on Adrian Ballesteros’ second-inning solo homer and got only one other runner to third base.

“We knew coming in that they liked to pull off the ball,” said Ardoin, who recorded 17 ground-ball outs to go with five strikeouts. “I worked away a lot. I knew I had to say ahead and not let them get comfortable in our park, and the defense turned them over a couple of times.”

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LOUISIANA La. - Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball office has announced that the scheduled Sunday game against New Mexico State has been moved up due to approaching inclement weather conditions. The two teams will play a split doubleheader today at Moore Field.

NMSU SERIES
Game 1 UL 11 - NMSU 1
Game 2 UL 13 - NMSU 4
Game 3 UL 9 - NMSU 5

Fans should know that a separate ticket will be required for entry to this evening’s game two. Sunday’s ticket can be used for the 7:00 p.m. game.

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NMSU   Tigue Moore Fieled   UL 4   The streak of 5 straight error free games ends, still Louisiana jumps out to a 6-0 lead as Pecoraro cruises to a 2-1 record. Louisiana has chance to COMPLETE the SWEEP   13

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E Aggies 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 1         4 8 1 Ragin' Cajuns 3 3 0 0 2 3 1 1 X         13 13 2

LAFAYETTE-Fireworks in Saturday’s first game of a doubleheader lifted the Cajuns to a 13-4 win over New Mexico State Aggies. The explosion continued in the nightcap as the Cajuns completed their sweep over the Aggies of New Mexico State by a score of 9-5.

Ian Pecoraro tossed the first six and one-thirds scattering three hits (two earned) that came off of six hits. Pecoraro (2-1) fanned five NMSU batters in the outing earniung the win in game one.

Jason Perkins got the loss in game one throwing two innings surrendering six runs on six hits while walking five.

Xardiel Cotto walked to start the first before Kevin Preau robbed Peter Arroyo of extra bases on a spectacular catch in right-center. Josh Landry made an other outstanding catch for the second out in the top of the inning before a heads up throw back from Pecoraro to second base caught Cotto who failed to tag the bag on his way back to first after an attempt to advance.

Josh Landry walked with one gone in the bottom of the first. Landry advanced on a groundout to second. Perkins balked to move Landry 90 feet closer to homeplate before Phillip Hawke doubled down the leftfield line to give the Cajuns a 1-0 lead.

Dallas Morris added to that lead with a two-run shot that left the yard over the wall in left-center.

Mark Aranda singled up the middle and Emory Davies walked to put Aggies on first and second. A fielder’s choice put runners on the corners with two outs. A walk loaded the bases before a fielding error brought a run home for NMSU.

Preau walked to start he bottom of the third before Micah Cockrell homered to put the Cajuns ahead by a 5-1 count. John Coker drew a walk before advancing on a wild pitch and stealing third. Landry plated Coker on a groundout to the first base side.

The Aggies threatened but didn’t score in the top of the third when Peter Arroyo started the inning with a double to left-center. Billy Becher moved the runner to third with a groundout to short. Preau fielded a fly out in right and gunned Arroyo down at home in an attempt to tag up.

The Cajuns put runners on in the third and fourth but NMSU turned a double play in each inning to avert further run damage.

Chris Ewen singled to the left side and Cotto walked to put runners on first and second. Arroyo doubled down the leftfield line to score a run and leave runners on second and third. Becher hit a sac fly out to left scoring another bringing the score to 6-3.

Pecoraro retired the Aggies in order in the top of the fourth.

Justin Merendino and Landry both singled to start the inning. Justin Bourque bunted his way on loading the bases for Hawke who singled to short scoring two more.

Preau led off the bottom of the sixth with a homerun to give Louisiana a 9-3 lead.

The next batter in the inning, Cockrell, was hit by Coppinger’s first offering before Coker drew a walk. Merendino put down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. Cockrell scored on a wild pitch before Landry singled in Coker to give bring the score to 11-3 in favor of Louisiana-Lafayette.

Jeff Morgan came on in relief of Pecoraro with two baserunners on and one out in the top of the seventh. Morgan got the next two outs in order to retire the New Mexico State side.

The Cajuns tacked on one more in the seventh on a groundout to short after Morris tripled to right-center.

The Cajuns scored another runs on Landry’s single to center in the bottom of the eighth.

The Aggies loaded the bases in the and got one run in the top of the ninth as Morgan induced ground balls to end the game.

LOUISIANA SI

[1stTake]

cajuns 21-9

[LatvianCajun]

I wish my high school team was 21-9.

We're 1-8

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NMSU   Tigue Moore Fieled   UL 5   Louisiana gets back on track with errorless ball as the Ragin' Cajuns SWEEP the Aggies in SunBelt conference play   9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E Aggies 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1         5 11 2 Ragin' Cajuns 0 3 4 0 1 1 0 0 X         9 11 0

LOUISIANA Là - In game two of Saturdays weather induced double header, Louisiana continued the offensive showcase displayed in the first two games of the series by exploding for nine runs off of 11 hits including three homeruns from Hawke, Morris and Core.

Cajuns starter for game two Jered Salazar got the win pitching five and two-thirds giving up four runs on seven hits while fanning seven.

The loss went to Jason Conner who was touched up for five runs on seven hits through two innings of work.

Cotto tripled to start the game before scoring on an Arroyo single to left.

Davies doubled with one gone in the top of the second and took third on a passed ball. The Aggies made it 2-0 on a Mark Keller RBI single to left.

Hawke cut the lead in half with his ninth homerun of the season. Hawke’s solo shot left the yard over the wall in right-center.

The Cajuns tied the game and claimed the lead in the bottom of the second when Morris doubled up the middle and scored on Preau’s double to right. Preau was lifted for pinch runner Leonard Guerrero after rounding first base awkwardly and hobbling into second. Cockrell singled to left and took two bases on a fielding error driving in Guerrero.

The Cajuns broke the game open in the bottom of the third as Landry tripled and scored on a throwing error by NMSU. Justin Bourque doubled to left-center which prompted a pitching change for the Aggies. J.T. Severe came in to face Morris who singled to center scoring Bourque. Ryan Core homered with Morris on base to give UL Lafayette a 7-2 lead.

Morris added a run in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homerun that made the score 8-2.

Aranda hit a homerun of his own in the top of the sixth before a Salazar offering plunked Balesteros. Davies doubled off the wall in center scoring Balesteros to cgut the Cajuns lead in half at 8-4.

Kraig Schambough came on to pitch in relief of Salazar and got the final out in the inning.

Brian Gausman came in to work in the bottom of the sixth and walked Coker on a full count. Coker advanced two bases on a wild pitch and a steal. Landry drove in Coker with a double to leftfield.

Davies and Monjaras singled to put runners on first and second with no outs in the top of the ninth. Keller singled to score a run for NMSU. Jason Rodriguez entered the game to play right field after Coker was injured on the play.

Louisiana would hold on to retire the last three in the game to complete the sweep.

The Cajuns will travel to Lake Charles Tuesday to play the McNeese State Cowboys in a 7:00 p.m. game.

LOUISIANA SI