Sunday, March 31, 2002

Golden Panthers rally in eighth to defeat Louisiana-Lafayette

own 7-4 heading into the eighth, No. 20 FIU (26-7, 3-3) rallied with five runs to take the lead and hold for the win defeating Louisiana-Lafayette (20-10, 4-2) 9-7. Skip Adams hit a two-run home run to close the lead to 7-6 and Bernie Gonzalez' three-run home run in the eighth, gave the Golden Panthers their 9-7 lead. Freshman Carlos Alvarez ended the game with three straight outs with the bases loaded to pick up his first save at FIU. FIU avoided their first conference sweep in two years. The last conference sweep was in 2000 versus New Orleans and the last one at home was in 1999 versus South Alabama.

In the first the Ragin Cajuns scored first as Bryan Sneed singled and Chase Lambin scored Sneed on a RBI double down the right field line.

The Golden Panthers scored three runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead. Alex Ansoleaga led off with a single and Dean Adams followed with an additional single. Ansoleaga scored on an error by ULL third baseman Robert Shelton. Brad Eldred scored Adams on a RBI single. Eldred scored the third run of the inning on a RBI single by Tommy Duenas.

Louisiana-Lafayette trimmed the lead to 3-2 in the third as Charles Redmond tripled and scored on Corey Coles groundout to second.

In the fourth the Ragin Cajuns tied the game at 3-3. With two outs, Shelton walked and Justin Morgan hit an infield single and FIU third baseman Adams overthrew first base as Shelton scored from first.

Chad Verret's RBI single in the sixth scoring Justin Bourque gave the Ragin Cajuns the go-ahead run for the 4-3 score.

The Ragin Cajuns increased their lead to 5-3 in the seventh on a Coles solo home run, his fourth of the year.

The Golden Panthers cut the lead to 5-4 as Ansoleaga led off the seventh with a single and scored on Gonzalez' RBI single.

In the eighth the Ragin Cajuns scored on Phillip Hawke's solo homerun, his second of the year and the second consecutive time ULL led off an inning with a home run. Brad Saloom hit a RBI single bringing in Verret to increase the lead to 7-4.

FIU rallied with five runs in the eighth to regain the lead with two home runs. Duenas singled and Skip Adams followed with his sixth home run of the year, a two-run shot scoring Duenas. With Ansoleaga on third and pinch runner Dennis Diaz , Gonzalez hit a three-run home run, his eighth of the year to give FIU the 9-7 lead after eight innings.

After relief pitcher Michael Mendez was pulled after loading the bases with three straight walks with no outs, Alvarez struck out Hawke and Shelton and got Justin Morgan to end the game on a groundout back to the pitcher.

FIU will be on the road next weekend as they travel to Bowling Green, KY to face conference opponent Western Kentucky beginning on Friday night for a three-game series.