Petello, Poirrier lead the way as Cajuns hammer Warhawks 11-1

Mike Petello and Jordan Poirrier each had four

hit nights, leading a 19-hit attack as Louisiana rolled to an 11-1 win over Louisiana-Monroe and locked down the #3 seed in the upcoming conference tournament.

Petello homered twice and drove in five runs, while Poirrier also homered and drove in a pair of runs as the Cajuns won their fourth straight game.

Ryland Parker (2-1) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but was feeling ill and was removed from the game after Joey Rapp's leadoff single in the sixth.  Randall Bulliard allowed two hits in the sixth when ULM scored their only run, but got the last eleven outs in succession for his first save of the season.

The Cajuns (31-23, 18-11) jumped on ULM starter Randy Zeigler (5-5) in the first inning.  Poirrier's RBI double got one run home and a single by Lance Marvel knocked in the other.

The first of two Petello homers, a two-run shot off the scoreboard in left-center, made it 4-0 in the third.  Michael Strentz added a two run single in the fifth to make it 6-0 and Petello unloaded another two-run bomb in the sixth for an 8-0 advantage.

The Cajuns added to the lead in the eighth when Poirrier hammered the first pitch he saw over the right field wall, which made it 9-1 and the Cajuns got two more in the ninth on a pinch-hit homer by Trask Switzenberg and an rbi single by Petello.

Parker retired the first eight men he faced in the game before issuing a two out walk to Shane Ardoin.    He gave up a second walk in the fourth and walked the bases loaded with two out in the fifth before getting Jarrett Hammond on a ground ball.  He struck out only one, but got ten fly ball outs in the five innings he worked.

Designated hitter Jason Hicks had the only RBI for ULM (23-30, 8-21).  The Warhawks managed just three hits in the contest.

The Cajuns now know that they will play Thursday at 11am, Friday at 11am and Saturday at 7pm in the Conference Tournament in Monroe next week.

The Cajuns go for the sweep tomorrow night at 6pm.