Golden Eagles Use Home Runs to Sneak By Cajuns and Even Series

Contact: Matt Hebert

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LAFAYETTE – Southern Miss used three home runs to produce all of its runs with the last one coming in the 11^th inning to lift the visiting Golden Eagles to a 4-3 victory over the Ragin' Cajuns baseball team Saturday afternoon at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.

Masson Robbins led off the USM half of the 11^th inning with a solo homer over the right field fence to break a 3-all tie and end a scoreless relief effort duel between Louisiana's Caleb Kellogg and USM's James McMahon.

Kellogg relieved Cajuns starter Jordan Harrison in the seventh inning and held the Golden Eagles (9-6) hitless over four innings until Robbins' heroics in the 11^th inning. Robbin's solo shot was the only hit Kellogg would surrender.

McMahon matched Kellogg, stranding Cajuns in scoring position in the sixth, seventh and 10^th inning. McMahon worked 4 1/3 innings in relief of starting pitcher Jake Drehoff and limited Louisiana (9-6) to two hits.

The Cajuns had a chance to either continue the contest or snatch victory from the Golden Eagles in the bottom half of the 11^th with runners on the corners and one out. USM turned to Bradley Roney, the second reliever of the frame, and he notched a strikeout and groundout to secure the victory.

The loss ended the Cajuns' three-game winning streak and was the first loss at “The Tigue” this season (now 6-1 at home in 2012).

“The game was going to come down to which team got the critical hit at the critical time. We never could get one after the first inning, and they got one late,” head coach Tony Robichaux said. “We were still in position to get the win, but we didn't get the critical hit at the critical time.

“You have to be able to drive in a run and be able to make contact with one out, and we failed to do that. That is going to do you in, in a close ballgame. We needed to get runners driven in which we didn't do, and as a pitching staff we have to keep the ball in the ballpark. If you take those two things away, we win today.”

The rubber match of the series is set for Sunday, March 11 at 1 p.m. Louisiana will start freshman right-hander Austin Robichaux (0-1, 4.66 ERA). The Golden Eagles entered the series undecided on which pitcher would start the final game of the series.

Chase Compton, Tyler Frederick and Jace Conrad all picked up two-hit games for the Cajuns. Harrison worked six innings in his first weekend start at the Division I level.

In addition to earning the save, Roney led USM with two RBI which came on a two-run homer in the second inning that put the Golden Eagles on the scoreboard. McMahon was credited with the victory.

Three consecutive two-out hits in the bottom of the first produced the three runs for the Cajuns. Dylan Butler started the scoring with a double down the left field line which scored Brian Bowman (leadoff walk). A Compton double to right field and Frederick single through the right side pushed across two more runs.

The Golden Eagles sliced the lead to 3-2 in their half of the second inning on a two-run home run over the right field wall by Roney.

Harrison and Drehoff made quick work of both lineups as the only batters to reach base through the end of the fourth inning were Dillon Day, who reached on a fielding error by Harrison on a grounder to Compton at first base in the third inning, and Conrad who drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the fourth.

USM used the home run ball to draw even in the fifth inning. Michael Sterling did the honors as he launched one over the left field fence.

Chris Sinclair led off with a single and Bowman walked as the Cajuns started their half of the fifth with two aboard and no outs. A sacrifice bunt by Dominick Francia gave UL two runners in scoring position, but Drehoff registered a pair of strikeouts to maintain the tie.

Louisiana threatened to reclaim the lead in the sixth inning as a two-out single by Conrad and walk by Tyler Girouard placed a runner in scoring position with two outs. McMahon induced a grounder from Sinclair to end the inning.

A leadoff infield single by Bowman and subsequent sacrifice bunt by Francia in the seventh inning wouldn't materialize for the Cajuns as McMahon struck out Ryan Leonards and Butler flied out to right field.

BASES NOTED: Louisiana scored first for the 10^th time in 15 outings this season when they plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning…The Cajuns have scored 13 runs in the first inning, outscoring opponents 13-5…Dylan Butler has posted at least one RBI in five of the last six games, increasing his team-leading total to 15…Butler extended his season-best hitting streak to six games, a streak which dates back to the March 3 contest vs. Kansas at the UTSA Classic…Junior college transfer Jordan Harrison worked six innings and held USM to three earned runs to pick up a quality start, the pitching staff's fourth of the season…It was Harrison's first weekend start, as he took the place of Chris Griffitt who was scratched from the rotation with a minor hamstring injury…The Golden Eagles' home runs were the first three allowed by UL pitching at “The Tigue” this season…Since the NCAA introduced the new BBCOR bats in 2011, opponents have hit only 12 home runs through 35 games at “The Tigue”…Sophomore Caleb Kellogg tossed five innings in relief, his longest outing in a Cajuns uniform besting the 3 2/3 innings tossed vs. FAU April 2 last season…Kellogg notched seven strikeouts, increasing his season total to 20 in 13 2/3 innings of work…Dominick Francia laid down three sacrifice bunts which tied the school record set by Matt Hicks on April 1, 2008 vs. Lamar…Louisiana now leads the all-time series with Southern Miss 19-17…The Golden Eagles won for only the fourth time in 16 meetings at “The Tigue” (UL leads 12-4 at the facility)…A season-high crowd of 2,615 watched the action unfold…Louisiana's average attendance is 2,185 through seven home dates.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Golden Eagles Use Home Runs to Sneak By Cajuns and Even Series

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