Ragin' Cajuns Squander Road Sweep

[NewsCopy]

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajun baseball team was set up for a road sweep, having rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth inning and taking an 8-6 lead here Sunday afternoon.

But a bullpen that had been rock-solid during the last few weeks couldn't hold that edge, and Xardiel Cotto's two-out bloop single plated Mark Aranda with the winning run as New Mexico State took a 9-8 victory in the final game of the teams' Sun Belt Conference series at Presley Askew Field.

The Aggies (25-22, 10-8 Sun Belt) put three straight runners on base off Cajun reliever Micah Cockrell (4-4) to lead off the bottom of the ninth, and Luke Hopkins' single to left field tied the game.

Cockrell got a popup from Adam Harvey and relief pitcher Brandt Sanders forced Emory Davies to fly out, but a wild pitch and a walk to Brandon Lance loaded the bases. Cotto battled back from a 1-2 count to get it to 3-2 and fouled off two pitches before a sinking liner fell in front of UL right fielder John McCarthy for the game-winner.

"We let it get away from us," said Cajun coach Tony Robichaux. "We've got to be able to close games out when we have a two-run lead."

The Cajuns (41-11, 13-5 Sun Belt) had rallied from a 6-5 deficit on Alex Preciado's leadoff pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning, and UL reliever Thad Montgomery threw his third straight shutout inning in the bottom of the eighth to send the game to the ninth tied at six.

The rest of the story

[Turbine]

I didn't like this headline. UL baseball drops third game to Aggies

It read a little like UL got swept.

Perhaps I'm being picky.

[JMV JustMyView]

Cajuns fans know we took 2/3 that is all that matters.

[Turbine]

Cajuns fans know we took 2/3 that is all that matters.

True