Ragin’ Cajuns roll from the start

TROY — Five batters into Wednesday’s Sun Belt Conference Tournament opener, Louisiana-Lafayette led Florida International 5-0.

The Ragin’ Cajuns cruised from there, routing FIU 11-3 behind a complete game from pitcher Zach Osborne (5-3).

Scott Hawkins’ three-run home run extended a 2-0 lead to 5-0

“It was a two-strike count. I was just trying to put the ball in play to the right side,” said Hawkins, who went 3-for-5. “We didn’t know Zach was going to throw that kind of a game, so we’re trying to score as many runs as we can.”

“That was definitely the big blow of the game,” FIU coach Turtle Thomas said. “You’ve got to give Zach Osborne a lot of credit. He was outstanding today. He really worked both sides of the plate very well. He located his stuff, he got ahead of the hitters and he got a lot of leadoff hitters out most of the game.”

Osborne came to the postgame interview area with his shoulder wrapped in ice, like most pitchers. He also had ice on his shin after he took a hard grounder off the bat of Tim Jobe in the third inning. Louisiana coach Tony Robichaux credited his starter’s toughness for staying in the game.

“To be able to go the distance for us and keep out of our bullpen is huge,” Robichaux said.

“Luckily, it was the third out of the inning so I got to go straight to the dugout,” Osborne said. “It got tight as the game on, but it never really got the point where
I needed to come out.”

Meanwhile, the Cajuns put up 11 runs on 14 hits and took advantage of four FIU errors.

FIU starter Scott Rembisz (6-3) didn’t do himself any favors in the first inning. Matt Goulas doubled to right field to start the game for the fifth-seeded Cajuns (
26-28-1). Alex Fuselier laid down a pretty sacrifice bunt and beat it out for a single. Les Smith singled sharply to right field, driving in the first run of the game.

Cleanup hitter Chad Keefer then tried to bunt the runners ahead. Rembisz gambled for the forceout at third base, but his throw sailed down the left-field line as
Fuselier scored and Smith and Keefer ended at third and second, respectively.

Louisiana’s Hawkins sliced a 2-2 pitch that simply carried over the wall in right for a three-run home run that gave the Cajuns a 5-0 lead.

“I certainly thought that we showed some nerves,” Thomas said. “We didn’t pitch, we didn’t hit and we didn’t field very well.”

FIU, seeded fourth without a player who has performed in a Sun Belt Conference Tournament, got three hits from Greg Waddell and two hits from Tyler
Townsend.

Hawks and Fuselier were both 3-for-5. Keefer hit a solo homer for the Cajuns.

“I thought our hitters did an exceptional job today,” Robichaux said.