| Junior Phillip Allen was 3-for-4 in his first start of the season. |
SAN ANTONIO – Louisiana-Lafayette scored three runs in the first off UTSA starter Josh Ruffin and never looked back, as it completed a weekend series sweep with an emphatic 14-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at Roadrunner Field. The Ragin’ Cajuns outscored the Roadrunners 29-6 during the weekend series, hit .324 with 19 extra-base hits and were successful on 10-of-11 stolen base attempts.
UL-Lafayette (4-0) got on the board first for the third game in a row when Xavier Alexander legged out a one-out infield grounder to second and came around to score one batter later when Jonathan Lucroy tripled off the top of the fence in right center. Devery Van De Keere then plated Lucroy with a run-scoring double to right center. Jefferies Tatford followed with a liner to left that junior Phillip Allen caught on the run and Van De Keere was caught in no man’s land, but junior James Keithley could not handle the throw from Allen to complete the would-be inning-ending double play. Instead, Van De Keere got back to second safely and came around for the third run of the frame when Nolan Gisclair followed with a two-out RBI single to center.
The Ragin' Cajuns added four more runs in the fourth and a single tally in the sixth off Ruffin before exploding for five runs in the seventh off a pair of UTSA relievers. ULL went on to add their 14th and final run in the eighth.
UL-Lafayette pounded out 15 hits on the day, including 10 for extra bases, and six Ragin’ Cajuns recorded two hits on the afternoon. Gosclair led the way, driving in four and hiting his first home run of the year to lead off the sixth. Tatford launched his second homer of the season to lead off the fourth and added an RBI triple in the seventh.
UTSA (0-4) got on the board in the seventh when Allen reached first on two-out single through the left side. Junior Zach Etheredge followed with a single between short and third and junior Marshal Davis drove Allen home with an RBI hit to center.
Ragin' Cajuns starter John Zorich (1-0) picked up the win in his first start of the year. The left-hander allowed just one run on seven hits in seven innings pitched. Justin Robichaux tossed the final two frames in relief and allowed the Roadrunners' other run in the ninth.
Allen, making his first start of the season, was 3-for-4 with a run scored and Davis added a pair of singles. Redshirt freshman Tim Palicsar dropped a leadoff double down the left field line to start the ninth in his only at bat of the day and came around to score when Ehteredge grounded into a double play.
Ruffin (0-2) took the loss, surrendering eight runs on eight hits in his 5.1 innings of work. He struck out five and walked two.
The Roadrunners return to action on Tuesday when they begin a four-game road trip with a midweek contest at Baylor (4-3). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Baylor Ballpark.