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LOUISIANA La. — What Justin Merendino did in Louisiana’s Sun Belt Conference baseball opener last Friday probably hasn’t happened in Ragin’ Cajun baseball history.
It may have happened somewhere in college baseball history, but probably not since the advent of the aluminum bat.
What the Cajun leadoff hitter did Western Kentucky was hit two home runs and put down two successful sacrifice bunts in the Cajuns’ 4-3 win. The homers accounted for three of those runs, and he moved the eventual winning run into scoring position in the ninth inning with the second bunt.
Not many leadoff hitters are ever going to hit two home runs in a game. Seldom are leadoff guys in a position to sacrifice twice. Even fewer are ever asked to bunt in the immediate at bat following home runs.
“The situation just called for it both times,” said Merendino, who will be back in the leadoff slot this weekend when the Cajuns play their first Sun Belt road series at Middle Tennessee. “I had to do what was best for the team at the time. That’s part of baseball.”
It’s been that kind of season for the Humble, Texas, product, who leads the squad and ranks fifth in the Sun Belt in hitting with a .398 average along with a .471 on-base percentage.
What jumps off the Cajun statistics sheet, though, is the five homers produced by the 5-foot-8, maybe-170-pound second baseman.
“That’s what makes him so dangerous,” said Cajun coach Tony Robichaux.”We knew when we recruited him that he could bunt on you, steal bases and turn the double play over. But we also knew that if you didn’t pitch him carefully he could take you out of the ball park.”
That’s what he did twice against the Hilltoppers, helping set up a league-opening series win that included wins Friday and Saturday and a 9-7 Sunday loss.
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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com
Merendino offers balance
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