Louisiana hit for the cycle as a team in the second inning and pushed across six runs which catapulted the squad to a 13-5 victory over Arkansas State Friday evening in the Sun Belt Conference opener at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.
Matt Goulas tripled to lead off the inning, just out of the reach of ASU center fielder Michael Faulkner. Alex Fuselier followed with an RBI single to center field for the game's first run.
After a Trask Switzenberg walk, Greg Fontenot tripled to score Fuselier and Switzenberg upping the lead to 3-0. Brian Bowman laid down a bunt that allowed Fontenot to cross home plate with the fourth run.
Kyle Olasin doubled, then Jordan Poirrier capped off the fireworks with a two-run home run over the right field fence to advance the lead to 6-0.
That was more than enough support for starting pitcher Zach Osborne who fanned nine Red Wolves hitters and limited them to only one multiple-run frame over seven innings. Osborne collected his first victory of the season.
The two teams continue the SBC opening weekend series on Saturday at 2 p.m. Justin Robichaux (1-1, 1.54 ERA) takes the mound for UL and faces ASU's Ross Humes (1-1, 1.72 ERA).
Poirrier led the offensive charge for the Ragin' Cajuns (9-4, 1-0 Sun Belt) with a pair of home runs and a career-high four RBI. Fontenot was 3-for-4 and tacked on three RBI.
Fuselier extend his team-high and career-best hitting streak to 10 games. He ended the night 2-of-4 with two runs scored and two RBI.
Andy Ferguson was tagged for nine earned runs over 4 2/3 innings and suffered the loss for ASU (8-5, 0-1 Sun Belt).
The Cajuns extended the top of the third for the Red Wolves on a two-out error by Poirrier. That allowed Giovanni Garcia, who doubled earlier, to score an unearned run and cut the UL lead to 6-1.
UL got the run back in their half of the third on a solo shot by Fuselier - his first homer of the season.
Poirrier launched his second home run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning and the Cajuns' lead grew to 9-1. It was the first multi-homer game of his career and for a Cajun this season.
Jordan Castaldo doubled to lead off ASU's half of the sixth. With one out the Red Wolves poked RBI base hits into the outfield on three straight at bats to close their deficit to five runs, 9-4.
UL registered two runs in the seventh inning of ASU reliever Daniel Wright and pushed across two more in the eighth off Brandon Milhouse.
The Cajuns runs scored were the most in a Sun Belt opener since posting 22 on South Alabama on March 25, 2005.
Louisiana has now plated double figure runs in four consecutive games dating back to the Southern Miss series finale. During the stretch the Cajuns are outscoring the opposition 52-12.


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