Baseball: Keefer powers UL to opening win

Daily Advertiser, April 17, 2010

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Chad Keefer homered in the eighth inning to break a tie that existed since the third inning and provide UL with a 4-3 win in the series opener at Arkansas-Little Rock on Friday night at Gary Hogan Field. 

The win extended the Cajuns’ season-best winning streak to six games. The Cajuns (20-14, 8-8 Sun Belt) picked up their 11th consecutive win over the Trojans (21-15, 4-9 Sun Belt).

The two teams continue the series today with first pitch slated for 4 p.m. Justin Robichaux (1-1, 3.31 ERA) makes his return to the starting rotation and will face UALR’s Daniel Golden (2-2, 5.67).

Keefer’s home run — his seventh of the season — made a winner out of Zach Osborne, who struck out 10 and limited the Trojans to five hits over 7.2 innings. It was Osborne’s fourth game of at least nine strikeouts this season and second double figure tally (13 at South Alabama).

Osborne matched UALR’s Adam Champion, who struck out nine and scattered eight hits over 7.1 innings.

Joey Satriano entered in the eighth and recorded two strikeouts to end the inning, the second coming with the bases loaded.

With a runner on second and one out in the ninth, Satriano induced a ground out from Jake Rowell. Justin Robichaux then fired the ball to Keefer, who tossed to Tyler Frederick to putout Bryce Killingsworth, who was attempting to sneak around third and forge a tie.

Osborne improved his mark in Sun Belt play to 5-1. Satriano collected his second save which came 10 days after picking up his first career save at Northwestern State on April 6.

The Trojans claimed an early lead following a three-run home run from Tyson Parks in the bottom of the first. A one-out walk by Rowell and throwing error by Osborne on a Jason Houston grounder set up the three-spot.

The Cajuns chipped away with three consecutive two-out hits in the third inning to erase UALR’s lead.

Matt Goulas singled through the left side to bring home Greg Fontenot for UL’s first run.

He moved up on the throw to home plate and scored on a Keefer single to left. Jordan Poirrier kept the rally alive with a triple into the right field corner that brought home Keefer and evened the score at 3-apiece. Osborne and Champion owned the middle innings surrendering one hit apiece to hitters to hold the game at a 3-3 standstill.