Florida Atlantic Sweeps Louisiana, Improves to 12-3

Sunday, March 15

Lafayette, LA

11:00 AM

Florida Atlantic

12-3, 0

Louisiana

6-9-1, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Florida Atlantic	2	3	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	8	15	3
Louisiana-Lafayette	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	9	3

3/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 15, 2009

Final Stats | Quotes | Action Photos

LAFAYETTE, LA - Florida Atlantic University shook off a scare in Sunday morning's resumed game with the University of Louisiana Lafayette, winning Game One 6-5 before cruising to an 8-3 victory in Game Two - sweeping the rain-shortened weekend set at ULL's M.L. 'Tigue' Moore Field.

Florida Atlantic (12-3; 3-2 Sun Belt) - paced by an offense that hits .328 collectively - touched-up Cajuns' pitching for five runs in the first two innings in Game Two. Lefty starter Barry Rooks made the early lead stand up, turning in his third-straight quality start, improving his record to 3-0.

Rooks struck out eight through six innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs. His season ERA dropped to 3.24.

"To play well on the road in this type of environment, especially with all the things that went on, tarp-on, tarp-off, the guys did an unbelievable job of staying focused," commented FAU head coach John McCormack.

Louisiana-Lafayette (6-9-1; 1-4 Sun Belt) was denied its 700th win at the 'Tigue.' The Rajin' Cajuns were coming off a 10-9 midweek win at No. 3 Louisiana State University. They will host the University of Arkansas-Little Rock in Lafayette next weekend.

"Traditionally this has been the toughest place to play in the Sun Belt Conference," McCormack said of playing a road series in Lafayette. "With all the rain, it may have helped keep the fans away - somewhat helping us in that respect, but then again we had some really good pitching performances and swung the bats really well."

Michael Cook (2-2) would last just two innings against FAU's lineup, leaving with ULL trailing 5-2. FAU seniors Travis Ozga and Nick Criaris doubled in their first at-bats against Cook. Criaris' double was one of three-straight Owls hits to begin the second frame which included singles by Anthony Mesa and Tom Hatcher.

Mesa added a solo homerun in the fourth off ULL mid-reliever Blake Wascom to extend the FAU lead to four, 6-2. Mesa finished the two-game series 5-for-8 (.625 BA) with a homer and three RBI.

Chris Schmitt appeared out of the FAU bullpen to pitch to ULL in the seventh. He worked three scoreless innings en route to earning his first save.

Up next for Florida Atlantic is a two-game midweek series with Rutgers University on Tuesday and Wednesday night at FAU Stadium, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus.

SERIES NOTES: Florida Atlantic totaled 15 hits in Game Two - the 7th time this season FAU has had 14+ hits... As a team the Owls are hitting .347 with runners on base and .332 with runners in scoring position... Rain and unplayable field conditions allowed for only two of the series' three games to be played... RH Glen Troyanowski appeared out of the bullpen to record the final out in Game One which ended Sunday morning some 40 hours after it was scheduled to begin Friday night... OF David Wilson left Game Two in the top of the sixth after what appeared to be a hamstring injury, he is expected to return to the lineup this week... DH Tom Hatcher, nagged by a hand injury over the past few weeks, enjoyed a 5-for-10 (.500 BA) series, which included a clutch double which set up FAU's winning run in the first game... ULL third base coach Anthony Babineaux was ejected by home plate umpire Bob Charmo in the bottom of he sixth inning (Game Two) for arguing balls and strikes.