March 22, 2005
LAFAYETTE, La. - No. 19-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette pounded out 19 hits en route a 23-3 win over Lamar University Tuesday night in non-conference action at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.
Lamar dropped to 16-10 on the season. UL-Lafayette improved to 20-4. The Cardinals return to Southland Conference play this weekend with a three-game series at McNeese State beginning with Friday's 7 p.m. game at Cowboy Diamond.
After a scoreless first inning, the Ragin Cajuns jumped on starter Allen Harrington (2-2) for three runs in the bottom of the second inning and never looked back. Jonathan Lucroy, who was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and six runs batted in, hit a solo home run to left field for the game's first run. Phillip Hawke walked, moved to third on Micah Cockrell's double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Justin Morgan. Justin Merendino drove in Cockrell with a double to left center to make the score 3-0.
The Cardinals made some noise in the top of the third. Matt Wilson singled to center and Jo Jo Haney doubled down the left field line to put two runners in scoring position with one out. Jeremy Gray struck out and Adrian Cantu grounded out to second to end the inning.
UL-Lafayette added two more in the bottom of the third. Josh Landry, who was 2-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI, led off the inning with a solo home run to straight away center field and Lucroy drove in the second run with a sacrifice fly to right field for a 5-0 lead.
Lamar broke through with a run in the top of the fourth inning on a solo home run by Chase Richards. The Ragin Cajuns answered with a run on back-to-back triples by John Coker and Landry with two outs.
The Cardinals scored two in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to 6-3. Wilson walked to lead off the inning and Haney, who was 2-for-4, followed with a single to left field. Collin Delome, who was 2-for-4, singled off third baseman Dallas Morris' glove to drive in both runners.
UL-Lafayette, again, answered Lamar's run total with two runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth. Cockrell and Morgan had RBI singles. The Cajuns broke the game open with nine runs in the sixth inning when they sent 14 batters to the plate. Lucroy had a three-run double and Cockrell hit a 3-run home run to highlight the inning.
Morgan hit a 3-run home run in the eighth inning, which was the first of his career, and went 2-for-5 with five RBI. Of the Cajuns 19 hits, 11 went for extra bases.
Buddy Glass (2-0) started and picked up the win, allowing three runs on six hits in four and one-third innings pitched. Harrington took the loss for Lamar, allowing three runs on three hits with three strikeouts in two innings of work.
