The Baton Rouge Rougarou played possum Sunday night.
After going scoreless through eight innings to trail Acadiana 2-0, the Rougarou rallied for seven runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a 7-3 win over the Cane Cutters at Fabacher Field in Lafayette.
The Rougarou had managed only four hits through the first eight innings and got only two in the ninth – an RBI single by D.J. Walker that tied the game at 2, then another RBI single by Josh Shelly that put the Rougarou ahead 3-2. The rest was all lagniappe and came with the help of seven walks from the Cane Cutters pitchers, three with bases loaded. Another run scored on a passed ball. The Rougarou batted 12 in the inning with every batter reaching base at least once. In all, the Rougarou drew 11 walks in the game and finished with six hits.
Shelly and Walker both went 2-for-4 with RBIs. Zeb Ruddell and Lane Hutchinson also had hits.
The Rougarou used six pitchers, who gave up six hits, walked nine and struck out five. Josh Prieto got the start and pitched five innings, allowing one run on four hits. Reagan James picked up the win.
The Cane Cutters scored their first run in the fourth inning when the lead-off batter was hit by a pitch and advanced on a pair of grounders and scored on a single. But the Ruddell robbed the Cane Cutters of more with a diving catch in center field for the third out of the inning. The Cutters added another run in the seventh thanks to a series of walks and a sacrifice fly.
“(It was) a great pitchers’ duel that turned into a walk-fest late,” said Rougarou coach James Dillard. “We did a great job of hanging around and finally getting a few breaks in the top of the ninth. We took advantage of what the Cane Cutters gave us. This was a big game for us because it allowed us to climb above .500 and end the week and go into the off day with a good taste in our mouth and have the team fee good about themselves.”
The Rougarou are off Monday. The team returns to action at home Tuesday night at 7 p.m. against the Seguin River Monsters.
By Lori Lyons, Rougarou Writer