Baseball: Moody, Hawkins Lift Cajuns Past Troy

Chris Whitehead, Sports Information –

The Cajuns collected only seven hits on the day, but three of them came from
designated hitter Scott Hawkins who had a homerun, double and single in the
ballgame. 

TROY, Ala.-Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team claimed game two of a
three game conference series with Troy as they edged the Trojans 4-3 at
Riddle-Pace Field. 

The Ragin’ Cajuns (28-8, 13-4 Sun Belt) collected just seven hits in the game
but made them count as they belted two homeruns and had a pair of a doubles
to go along with three singles. 

Scott Hawkins had three of the Cajuns hits.  The sophomore designated hitter
fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle as he had a homerun, double and
single in the game.  The homerun for Hawkins was his second homerun of the
series, and also tied Hawkins for the team lead with 11 homers. 

Starting pitcher Hunter Moody (5-2) was solid in his eighth start of the
season.  The sophomore worked into the eighth, but was relieved after giving
up a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning.  Moody surrendered six hits
on the afternoon with only one extra base hit.  He struck out seven batters
while issuing only one free pass.  Moody did not allow a runner past second
base until the eighth inning. 

The Cajuns wasted little time putting a run across in the first inning. 
After working the count full, Josh Logan singled to right field to lead
things off.  Jefferies Tatford was hit by his team leading 12th pitch of the
season.  Jonathan Lucroy hit a tailor-made double-play ball, but the Trojans’
shortstop mishandled the ball allowing all runners to advance safely.  Troy
recorded the first out and Nolan Gisclair hit was looked like a routine fly
ball, but the centerfield misplayed it.  Gisclair reached first as the
centerfielder went to second to record the second out of the inning.  The
Cajuns were able to score on the play as Logan easily trotted in from third
base.  The one run would be the only run the Cajuns would get in the first
and took a 1-0 lead into the bottom half of the inning. 

The Ragin’ Cajuns tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning. 
With one out, Scott Hawkins hit his 11th homerun of the season.  The
homer tied Hawkins with Lucroy for the team lead in homeruns.  Gisclair
followed with a solo homerun of his own.  The back-to-back shots by the
Cajuns were the third time this season that UL has gone one after another. 
The Ragin’ Cajuns lead was 3-0 after five and a half innings of play. 

UL added an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning.  Hawkins beat out
an infield single to third base for his third hit of the game.  Hawkins stole
his fifth base of the season to move into scoring position.  With two outs,
Matt Hicks hit his second double of the season to plate Hawkins and bump the
Cajuns’ lead to 4-0. 

The run in the top of the eighth would prove to be important as Troy cut the
Cajuns lead in half in the bottom of the eighth.  A single through the left
side of the innings started off the eighth for the Trojans.  Troy’s Edgar
Ramirez hit his sixth homerun of the year to put the Trojans on the
scoreboard and trim the UL lead. 

Matt Pilgreen entered the game in relief of Moody in the eighth.  Pilgreen
induced a groundout for the first out of the inning.  The next batter singled
through the left side of the infield. A fielder’s choice erased the lead
runner, but a walk gave the Trojans a pair of baserunners.  Pilgreen closed
out the inning as he struck out the final batter of the inning. 

In the bottom of the ninth, Pilgreen got the first batter to fly out to
centerfield, but surrendered a solo homerun to the next batter.  With the
Cajuns clinging to a 4-3 lead, a pair of ground balls to Alexander at second
ended the game and secured the win. 

The Ragin’ Cajuns and Trojans will conclude the series with the final game,
which is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Riddle-Pace Field.