Scott Tosses Another Gem in 10-1 Victory

Friday, May 13

Lafayette, La.

6:30 PM

Middle Tennessee

#18 Louisiana-Lafayette

Photo by: MT

5/13/2005 9:42:00 PM | Baseball

By: MT Media Relations

LAFAYETTE, La. - Michael McKenry and Nate Jaggers both homered, Matt Scott tossed a complete game and Middle Tennessee scored seven runs in the first three innings en route to a 10-1 victory over 18th-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette Friday night at "Tigue" Moore Field. The Blue Raiders (26-20, 10-8 Sun Belt) scored three runs in the top of the first and added a pair of runs in both the second and third innings, chasing UL starter Kevin Ardoin after just 1.2 innings of work. McKenry's two-out, two-run homer in the first inning was the first of seven runs scored with two outs for Middle Tennessee, the team's seventh win in the last nine games. Scott (8-1) tossed his second straight complete game, allowing one run on six hits with six strikeouts. The righthander did not walk a batter for the second straight outing and picked up his third consecutive victory on the mound. McKenry and Jaggers both had three hits in the contest, and Nathan Hines, Jeff Beachum and Josh Archer all added a pair of hits in a 15-hit Blue Raider attack. McKenry drove in three runs and Jaggers recorded two RBIs in Middle Tennessee's first Friday night win over the Ragin' Cajuns (42-12, 13-6) since 2001. Ardoin (10-2) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits in 1.2 innings, the shortest start of his career. The righthander had worked at least five innings in 13 previous starts this season, and allowed only three runs in the first inning all season before giving up three in Friday's outing. The Blue Raiders jumped out early with three runs in the top of the first on four hits, touching Ardoin with two hard-hit balls. Eric McNamee drew a leadoff walk on four pitches but was erased on a doubleplay. Jaggers singled up the middle with two outs before McKenry blasted a 2-0 pitch deep into the woods beyond leftfield, his 12th homer of the season. Hines kept the inning alive with a single into rightcenter and scored Beachum's double down the leftfield line for a 3-0 advantage after a half inning. The Raiders added to the lead in the second, starting with a swinging bunt from Adam Warren. Archer then laced a single in front of the centerfielder. After a fielder's choice and a strikeout, Jaggers fisted a single into short rightcenter, plating Archer, and McKenry ripped a single into leftfield for another RBI and a 5-0 lead. Middle Tennessee extended the lead again in the third, scoring two more runs on three hits. Beachum collected his second double to leadoff and went to third on a bunt from Marcus Taylor. After a groundout Archer doubled down the leftfield line, scoring Beachum, and McNamee followed with an RBI single to left for a 7-0 Blue Raiders advantage. The Raiders went quiet for three innings but added three more runs in the seventh, starting with a solo homer from Jaggers, his 12th of the season. McKenry followed with his third hit of the contest, a single, and Hines singled to center. Beachum moved both runners with a two-strike sacrifice bunt before Taylor ripped an RBI single through the middle, scoring McKenry. Hines hurried home with two outs on a wild pitch for a 10-0 Middle Tennessee lead. The Cajuns got on the board in the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer from Josh Landry, his sixth of the season. "Matt Scott has come into his own. If you're going to have a good team, you've got to have a horse, and Matt has shown he can match-up with anyone on Friday night," Peterson said. "Matt was on tonight and he's been on most of the season. "Our team is progressing and has gotten better as the season has gone on. That's been the history of my coaching and we're doing that again this season, getting better as the season goes along. We've been pretty solid and getting timely hits and most important, getting hits all throughout the lineup." The two teams play again Saturday at 2 p.m. with the series concluding Sunday at 1 p.m. GAME NOTES
Friday's meeting was the 12th between the two teams in the last three years with Middle Tennessee leading, 7-5 ... Nathan Hines extended his hitting streak to seven games with a single in the first ... Jeff Beachum extended his hitting streak to seven games with a double in the first ... Eric McNamee extended his hitting streak to six games with a single in the third ... Louisiana-Lafayette scored in the seventh inning, ending a string of 11 straight scoreless innings by Matt Scott dating to last Friday against Florida International.