Posted on: Wednesday, March 2, 2005
Ragin' Cajuns rip Wichita St., 19-3
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| Louisiana-Lafayette's John Coker slides safely into second as Tad Reida waits for the throw. The Ragin' Cajuns beat Wichita State 19-3.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser |
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
If a 13-hour plane trip wasn't enough, Louisiana-Lafayette faced the only other nationally ranked team right off the bat in the First Hawaii Title Rainbow Tournament. And then it had to face one of the best pitchers in the nation to boot.
No problem.
The Ragin' Cajuns pounded out 22 hits, including a three-run home run by designated hitter Jefferies Tatford and an inside-the-park grand slam by Josh Landry to hammer Wichita State, 19-3, yesterday.
Louisiana-Lafayette improved to 11-0 overall and 1-0 in the tournament after handing the Shockers (11-1, 0-1) their first loss of the season.
The Ragin' Cajuns are ranked 21st by Baseball America and 22nd by Collegiate Baseball. Wichita State is No. 15 in Collegiate Baseball and No. 24 by Sports Weekly/ESPN.
Louisiana-Lafayette tagged preseason All-America right-hander Mike Pelfrey (2-1) for four runs on nine hits and two walks with six strikeouts in five innings.
"We came out thinking we'd be in a very close ball game, but we were fortunate enough to break the game open," Louisiana-Lafayette coach Tony Robichaux said. "We were lucky to get a win against such a quality team, against a quality coaching staff over there. It's good for our program, but we still have four more games to go. Nobody gives you a championship trophy for only one win."
It was Louisiana-Lafayette's third win against Wichita State in 11 meetings.
The game started as a pitchers' duel with Pelfrey against Louisiana-Lafayette's Austin Faught, who missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, which he had in October 2003.
He was scratched from Saturday's start with a tender elbow, Robichaux said.
"I was anxious how he was going to throw today," Robichaux said. "But he came out and threw really well, so we're proud of him."
Faught (3-0) allowed two runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five innings. He was on a pitch limit of 90, Robichaux said.
"It was a big win for him, coming back from surgery," Robichaux said.
"I mostly threw fastballs and changeups today with a handful of sliders," said Faught, a left-hander. "A cross wind kind of helped me out because my fastball was running away."
Although it was only Louisiana-Lafayette's third win against the Shockers and both teams came into the tournament unbeaten, Faught said it was just another game.
"It's a great win," he said. "Wichita State is a tough team, they have a lot of good players. It's a nice win for us, but tomorrow's another day. We have to take care of business the rest of this week."
Louisiana-Lafayette took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Dallas Morris, only to see the Shockers come back in the bottom of the second on a two-run triple by Tad Reida. Reida hit a grounder off second baseman Justin Merendino's glove. With right fielder John McCarthy charging, the deflected ball shot past him to the wall.
But the Ragin' Cajuns tacked on three in the fifth to chase Pelfrey and take a 4-2 lead. A six-run sixth, capped by Tatford's three-run homer to right made it 10-2.
Each team scored one in the seventh to make it 11-3 before Louisiana-Lafayette sent 13 batters to the plate in an eight-run ninth. That is when Landry hit his inside-the-park slam as his liner to left took an artificial-turf bounce over left fielder Carlos Jackson.
SOUTH FLORIDA 6, UC DAVIS 4
Dexter Butler's one-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a 4-all deadlock to extend the Bulls' win streak to five.
Brian Baisley led off with a double against Mick Phillips and Nick Cardieri followed with a bunt single to put runners at the corners. Kris Howell came in to pinch hit for Brad Karns and Jeremy Brand went to pinch run for Cardieri. Justin Fitzgerald came in to pitch for Phillips and struck out Howell after Brand stole second. Butler's single to center scored both runners before he was thrown out trying for second. Ty Taborelli flied to center to end the inning.
Daniel Thomas (4-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the Bulls (9-5 overall, 1-0 in the tournament) of Conference USA. Phillips (0-1) was charged with two runs on three hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief for the Aggies (6-7, 0-1). Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
UC-Davis vs. South Florida
Paul Gonzales, Michael Philips (6), Justin Fitzgerald (8) and Tyler LaTorre. Ty Pryor, Tim Mattison (6), Daniel Thomas (8) and Brad Karns. W—Thomas. L—Philips. Leading Hitters: UCD—Brandon Oliver 2-4; Daniel Desoalso 2-3, double; Lukas Kirby 2 RBIs. SF—Jeremy Bellotti 2-3, double; Brian Baisley 2-3, double; Jeff Baisley double; Dexter Bulter 2 RBIs.
Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Wichita State
Austin Faught, Brandt Sanders (6), Kraig Schambough (8) and Adam Massiatte. Mike Pelfrey, Rob Musgrave (6), Jared Simon (6), Brandon Ast (7), Ryan Stephens (9), Tyler Hill (9) and Joe Muich. W—Faught. L—Pelfrey. Leading Hitters: LaF—John Coker 3-5, 4 runs; Josh Landry 2-6, homer, 2 runs, 4 RBIs; Justin Meredino 4-6, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Phillip Hawke 3 runs, 2 RBIs; John McCarthy 4-4; Jefferies Tatford homer, 4 RBIs; Dallas Morris 3-6, double, 3 RBIs; Micah Cockrell 2-6. WS—Blake Hurlbutt 2-3, double. Tad Reida 2-3, triple, 2 RBIs.
Note: The University of Hawai'i box score was not available before this edition of The Advertiser.
