May 6, 2008

Box Score

LAFAYETTE, La. - You've got to be kidding.

That's been the prevailing mood throughout much of the Louisiana Tech baseball season, given the unbelievable bad luck the `Dawgs have encountered thus far. And that phrase was certainly uttered by every player, coach and Tech fan in attendance Tuesday night at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field as the Ragin' Cajuns took a stunning 4-3 victory over the Bulldogs on the strength of a three-run home run with two out in the bottom of the eighth.

"We left too many runners in scoring position," Tech head coach Wade Simoneaux said. "But the great catches they made...that's just been the story of this season."

Tech (20-28) lost for the fourth straight time to UL-Lafayette (24-25), which now holds a 78-62 edge in the series. But it is unlikely that many of those 140 contests have been as exciting - and heartbreaking - as this one.

The first six innings were a pitchers' duel for the ages as Tech's John Anderson and ULL's Danny Farquhar combined to allow only three hits through the first two-thirds of the game.

But a Tech miscue in the seventh - a base hit followed by a two-base error - would allow a Cajun baserunner to advance past first base for the first time all night. A base hit on the next pitch by Dillon Guillory would bring in Scott Hawkins to give the Cajuns a 1-0 lead and chase Anderson from the game after the best outing of his career.

The Bulldogs, however, would answer an inning later. With Kevin Winn and Albie Goulder on base, Chris Kersten launched a three-run, opposite-field home run to put the Bulldogs ahead for the first time, 3-1.

Alex Richard then retired the first two batters in the eighth and looked to be cruising. But a bunt single and a walk brought up Matt Goulas, who was 0-for-3 on the night to that point. On a 2-2 pitch, Goulas was hit in the back and headed for first, but home plate umpire Chris Magouirk ruled that Goulas failed to make an attempt to get out of the way, bringing the righthander back to the plate and drawing a cascade of boos from the crowd of 1,453.

But just when it appeared Tech had gotten the biggest break of the game, it backfired in a very, very big way. On the very next pitch - you guessed it - Goulas launched his second home run of the season over the left-field wall to put the Cajuns back ahead, 4-3.

"It looked like he was sitting on a breaking ball," Simoneaux said. "Richard threw him one and he teed off on it."

The Bulldogs would make a valiant attempt at a rally in the ninth, getting a pinch-hit single, a stolen base and a throwing error to put Patrick Thomas at third base with one out. A slow-roller from Nick Grunenwald to first base could not advance Thomas, but Grunenwald beat the play to first base and then stole second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position.

With the infield playing on the edge of the grass, Kevin Winn hit a slow roller to the shortstop, who fired home to nab Thomas for the second out. Jericho Jones would then hit a 1-0 pitch right on the screws, but right at the center fielder to end the game.

ULL made several outstanding defensive plays, namely a sprinting catch just short of the wall on a Jones fly ball in the eighth that would have certainly scored a run. The Bulldogs also left 10 runners on base, nine of which were in scoring position.

Richard (1-2) was charged with the loss, giving up three runs - all on the home run - on three hits while walking just one and striking out three. Anderson put together the best outing of his career, going 6.1 strong innings and giving up just one run - it was unearned - on three hits while also striking out three and walking none.

Tech had seven hits in the contest by seven different players and stole seven bases, a season-high for the Bulldogs.

Louisiana Tech will hit the field again on Wednesday as they make up a rainout from earlier in the season against Northwestern State in Natchitoches. Alan Knotts will get the start for the Bulldogs against a Demon pitcher yet to be determined. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m. at Brown-Stroud field. There will be no Tech radio broadcast, but live stats will be available through www.latechsports.com.

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