|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Baseball: Compton Lifts Cajuns To Comeback Win In Extras At Southern Miss
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – After trailing for most of the game, the 14th ranked Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team came back to win 8-5 in 12 innings at Southern Miss on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader at Pete Taylor Park.
First baseman Chase Compton was the hero of the game driving in four runs to tie a career-high while going 2-for-5 at the plate and scored a run.
“This is a battling group,” head coach Tony Robichaux said. “I battled them all fall calling pitches, and I knew that sooner or later that our guys were going to break through. So far in this series we have done a great job of getting a two-out hit when we needed it. Chase took a while to get going, but today he showed what he could do for this team. We have a couple very prolific hitters who still haven’t busted through yet, but they will and hopefully we can keep rolling.”
Freshman Reagan Bazar notched his first career victory throwing two innings in relief. Bazar gave up one run on two hits with four walks and two strikeouts in the outing.
Junior Carson Baranik had another strong start for the Cajuns settling down after a rough first inning to throw nine innings giving up four runs (two earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts and two walks in a no decision. Baranik retired 14 straight Golden Eagles hitters from the second through the sixth innings and 21 of the last 24 batters he faced.
“Carson was big for us settling in and getting his slider and changeup down after the first inning,” Robichaux noted. “Our defense didn’t give in, and that gave us a chance to win the game today. Our pitchers did a great job of keeping us in the game. Reagan is a true freshman and had a chance to give up his milk and didn’t which allowed us more time to get to (Matt) Hicks.”
USM starter Cameron Giannini held the Cajuns scoreless in six innings of work also earning a no decision. Giannini limited Louisiana to just two hits with two strikeouts in the game.
Reliever Ryan Milton was saddled with the loss for the Golden Eagles giving up one unearned run on one hit in 0.2 innings.
Louisiana threatened in the top of the first after a leadoff double by Seth Harrison. With Harrison on third and one out, Giannini made a good play on a hard hit ball up the middle by Ryan Leonards to hang up Harrison on the base paths to end the threat.
In the bottom half, the Golden Eagles exploded for four runs on four hits and a Cajuns error. RBI singles by Tim Lynch and Dylan Burdeaux highlighted the scoring for USM in the inning.
The Cajuns advanced a runner to third with one out in the top of the sixth, but for the second time in the game Giannini fielded a ball hit back to him to extinguish the threat.
With the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the eight, first baseman Chase Compton singled through the right side of the infield to score Leonards and Tyler Girouard to spark the Cajuns offense. In the next at bat, third baseman Greg Davis brought home Evan Powell on a sac fly to center to cut the Southern Miss advantage to one run.
Later in the inning, Harrison evened the game at 4-all sending an 0-2 pitch into left field for a two-out RBI single to score Compton from second.
Louisiana took the lead in the top of the 11th on a bases loaded sacrifice fly to center by Strentz to score pinch runner Joe Robbins.
In the bottom of the 11th, the Golden Eagles answered on a RBI double to right center by Burdeaux to tie the contest at 5-5.
The Cajuns grabbed the lead for good in the top of the 12 scoring three runs on two hits and a USM error. Compton broke the tie with a two-run single through the right side of the infield. Strentz added an insurance run later in the inning on a sac fly to right scoring Powell from third to make the final 8-5.
Senior Matt Hicks came on in the bottom of the 12th to pick up his first save of the season and 16th of his career recording three straight outs to close out the game.
Louisiana is set to close out the series at 7:30 p.m. tonight. After the series finale against Southern Miss, the Cajuns head to Baton Rouge, La. for a mid-week game against third ranked LSU on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Alex Box Stadium.
Season tickets are still available for baseball and can be purchased on RaginCajuns.com or at the Cajundome box office. For more information call (337) 265-2357.
— Ragin’ Cajuns —
—
Jeff Schneider Cox Communications Athletics Center Office: (337) 482-6332
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
