Baseball Handed Senior Night Defeat by La.-Monroe – photo gallery included 5/20/12
Baseball Handed Senior Night Defeat by La.-Monroe – photo gallery included 5/20/12
Contact: Matt Hebert
Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
LAFAYETTE – La.-Monroe spoiled Senior Night festivities for Louisiana with a 17-0 run-rule win in seven innings Saturday evening at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.
The game marked the final contest of the 2012 season for Louisiana (23-30, 11-19 Sun Belt) who entered the day already eliminated from contention for a Sun Belt Tournament berth following a loss and Western Kentucky win on Friday night.
The Warhawks (28-27, 15-15 Sun Belt) broke open a 5-0 contest by scoring 12 runs combined over the final three innings.
Joe Zimmermann got the start for UL and was charged with the loss after surrendering five runs (four earned) in 2 2/3 innings. Kendall Thamm, who held the Cajuns to one hit through four innings before a 24-minute rain delay removed him from the contest, was credited with the victory.
The Cajuns defense committed a season-high, seven errors which resulted in six unearned runs for La.-Monroe.
All but one Warhawks starter in the batting order posted a hit with Brandon Alexander and Corben Green leading the charge with three hits apiece.
After a scoreless first inning, the Warhawks took the lead in the second inning when Alexander scored on a passed ball. Earlier in the frame, Zimmermann fielded a comebacker after Alexander led off with a single and attempted to force him out at second base, but the throw was wide.
The game began to slip away from the Cajuns in the third inning when the Warhawks touched Zimmermann for four runs off four hits to increase the advantage to 5-0.
Derek Howell relieved Zimmermann and ended the third inning, then worked around an error at the top of the fourth inning to hold La.-Monroe in check.
Joey Rapp started the fifth with a home run down the left field line. An Alexander double, Green infield single and Chris Dudley single resulted in an additional run and ended Howell’s appearance.
The Warhawks added a run on a Tyler Girouard throwing error at home and a Jeremy Sy single to center field before the rain delay and capped off the five-run, fifth inning with a Caleb Clowers sacrifice fly after play resumed.
A two-run triple by Les Aulds was the big hit as La.-Monroe added three runs in the sixth inning
In the seventh inning, a bases loaded single and subsequent fielding error tacked on two more runs for the Warhawks. The scoring wrapped up with a Dudley sacrifice fly and Justin Stawychny RBI double.
A Jordan Bourque leadoff single followed by an Almann Snowden walk gave UL two runners aboard and the chance to avoid the shutout. La.-Monroe reliever Shelby Aulds registered three straight outs, with a Daniel Nichols pop up to Clowers in shallow left field marking the final out of the Cajuns 2012 season.
BASES NOTED: The Ragin’ Cajuns honored their seven seniors – Jordan Bourque, Brian Bowman, Ethan Hebert, Daniel Nichols, Jordan Nicholson and Joe Zimmermann – prior to the game’s first pitch…UL also recognized current and former players who earned their bachelor’s degrees during the 2011-12 academic year…Joe Zimmermann received the starting nod on the mound over freshman Austin Robichaux due to the game marking the final home contest at “The Tigue” for the senior righty…The game entered a rain delay, which occurred in the fifth inning, at 7:22 p.m., and play resumed at 7:46 p.m…The actual game time of two hours, 10 minutes marked the Cajuns shortest game duration in a Sun Belt contest this season…UL was shut out for only the second time this season (March 28 at LSU) and for the first time in Sun Belt regular season play for the first time since March 6, 2009 (L, 0-2 at Arkansas State)…La.-Monroe’s 17 runs marked only the third time in 53 games in 2012 that UL’s pitching allowed double figure runs…Brian Bowman, the veteran of the senior class, played in his 159th career contest…Bowman finished his senior season with career-highs in runs scored, hits, RBI and stolen bases…Zimmermann, who had been used in long relief in SBC play the last two months, made his first league start since March 25 vs. Arkansas State…The Cajuns wrapped up their 41st season since joining the Division I ranks in 1972…Saturday’s game was the final game of the 35th season at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field (Cajuns all-time record at the facility is 767-303-2)…La.-Monroe picked up its first sweep at “The Tigue” in an SBC series and evened the all-time series in the Sun Belt era at 12-all.
— Ragin’ Cajuns —
Athletic Network Footnote: Please click here for the photo gallery of the May 19 UL-M game.
