Ragin’ Cajuns give Wildcats a taste of their own medicine

LAFAYETTE, La. — Now the Wildcats know what it feels like.

Arizona fell victim to a two-run squeeze bunt in the fifth inning of its 10-3 NCAA regional loss to Louisiana Lafayette on Sunday. The Wildcats have executed that play themselves a handful of times this season.

“It was impressive,” UA coach Jay Johnson said after the game. “We got Arizona’d today.”

The play came at a critical time. Arizona had trimmed its deficit to 7-3 on Cody Ramer’s two-run home run in the top of the fifth.

With runners on second and third and one out, ULL leadoff hitter Brian Mills bunted to UA reliever Austin Schnabel. Alex Pinero was breaking from third and scored easily. With no play at the plate, Schnabel turned and tossed the ball to first. As he did so, the Ragin Cajuns’ Brad Antchak came racing around third and scored without a throw.

“After we score, we want to throw up a zero to make sure we can hold them in striking range,” Ramer said. “When they put up that two, it was a little dagger.”

“It’s a momentum killer,” ULL coach Tony Robichaux said. “I’ve had it done to us.”

It was the second time in the game that the Ragin’ Cajuns scored immediately after the Wildcats did. ULL responded to Arizona’s first run with three in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Lack of command

JC Cloney doesn’t throw in the 90s. The junior left-hander relies on pinpoint control to keep hitters off-balance.

When he doesn’t have precise command, he can get in trouble. That’s exactly what happened against Louisiana Lafayette.

Cloney struggled from the get-go and lasted just 3º innings, his shortest outing since going 4º at USC on April 29. Cloney allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits. He walked two and did not strike out a batter. It was only the fourth time this season that Cloney surrendered more than one walk.

“I couldn’t command the fastball at all, going in and out,” he said. “I couldn’t get it in there for strikes. And then going away … they seemed to sit on that more.”

Cloney allowed three runs (two earned) in the first inning, a rally that began when he walked the No. 2 hitter, Joe Robbins. Johnson thought the 3-2 pitch should have been called a strike.

“That allowed them to kind of get it going,” Johnson said.

ULL followed with a bunt single, a single to center and a successful squeeze bunt. Another run scored on a sacrifice fly.

The inning felt a lot like the five-run top of the first Arizona State posted against Arizona on May 13. Both included errors by third baseman Bobby Dalbec. Johnson moved Dalbec to left field for the rest of the game Sunday, the first time he has played there this season.

Inside pitch

• Arizona used five pitchers against ULL. None recorded a strikeout. It was the first time this year the Wildcats failed to strike out a batter.

• Arizona not only will have to battle Louisiana Lafayette again Monday, but also its boisterous crowd. ULL’s fans came out in full force for Sunday’s first game, and they were enthusiastic from the first pitch. They clapped in unison every time a UA batter had a two-strike count, and gave their team a standing ovation at the end of the first inning. They did the same when Wildcats right fielder Zach Gibbons made a diving catch in the bottom of the eighth.

• ESPN reporter Pedro Gomez, the father of UA left-hander Rio Gomez, joined ESPN announcers Brett Dolan and Tom Holliday for the top of the fourth inning of the first game. The Wildcats scored their first run while Pedro Gomez was in the booth.