UL Beats Up Alcorn State

 

The Ragin’ Cajuns (8-8) moved back to the .500 mark and posted their seventh consecutive win at “The Tigue”.

 

Louisiana now turns its attention to the beginning of Sun Belt Conference play this weekend as La.-Monroe (10-5) provides the opposition for the opening Sun Belt series being held Friday-Sunday, March 18-20. Start times are set for 6 p.m., 2 p.m., and 1 p.m. at “The Tigue”.

 

Mike Petello delivered the game-winning hit for the Cajuns driving a single to left field to score Alex Fuselier who was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning and moved up to second on a Matt Goulas sacrifice bunt.

 

Petello’s RBI single broke a 3-all tie then the Cajuns added RBI doubles from Jordan Poirrier and Michael Strentz plus an RBI single from Tyler Frederick to open a 7-3 lead.

 

That provided ample run support for the final four Cajuns pitchers who combined to hold the Braves (4-10) scoreless and to one hit over the final four innings.

 

As a team the Cajuns scored a season-high 12 runs and pounded out a season-best 17 base hits.

 

Frederick highlighted the Cajuns’ season-best offensive output by going 4-for-5 with four RBI. Jordan Bourque, Jordan Poirrier and Michael Strentz each posted three-hit games.

 

Starting pitcher Joe Zimmermann set the tone for the Cajuns pitching staff tossing no-hit baseball through the first three innings. Zimmermann struck out four of the nine Braves hitters he faced.

 

UL followed Zimmermann by strolling out a different reliever each of the next six innings. Blake Wascom, who capped off his inning of relief by posting three consecutive strikeouts when Alcorn had the chance to take the lead in the fifth inning, picked up the victory.

 

Joseph Camp suffered the loss for Alcorn after he surrendered seven Cajuns runs on 10 hits over 4 2/3 innings of work.

 

A two-out rally in the second inning started by a Strentz double to left center put the Cajuns out in front early. Strentz came around to score on an infield single by Frederick for the first run of the two-run frame.

 

Frederick moved up to second base on the Braves’ attempt to throw out Strentz at the plate and scored when Bourque drove a single back up the middle.

 

Alcorn pulled even in the fourth inning when Kilby Perdomo launched a two-run home run that cleared the scoreboard in left center field.

 

The teams swapped a run over the next two half innings, both benefitting from leadoff doubles to produce a run.

 

The Braves had an opportunity to take a lead in the top of the fifth inning after a Angel Rosa double put runners on second and third with on outs. After a meeting on the mound, Wascom struck out Joshua Powell, Cole Vicars and Ryan Akins in succession.

 

In their half of the fifth inning, the Cajuns responded, regained control of the contest and never looked back.

 

BASES NOTED: Tuesday’s game marked the fourth meeting all-time between the two schools…Louisiana has been victorious in all meetings…UL posted its fourth 10-plus hit game of 2011 and first since March 1 vs. Southern…All 10-plus hit games this season have come at “The Tigue”…Jordan Poirrier tied a school record with three doubles, becoming the 12^th player in school history to reach the feat and first since Alex Fuselier at UNO on May 7 of last season…UL tallied nine doubles as a team which tied a school record, marked only the third occurrence in school history and was the first time a UL team had nine doubles since May 18, 1999 vs. UALR…In the seventh inning, Michael Strentz threw out two Alcorn State baserunners attempting to steal, increasing the Cajuns catchers’ total of runners caught stealing this season to 11…Cajuns pitching has now held the opposition below five runs in 12 of 16 games…The win improved Louisiana to 3-2 in midweek games and a perfect 3-0 on Tuesday.