LAFAYETTE, La. – Right-hander Nick Lee permitted two runs on eight hits over 7.0 innings while Hayden Cantrelle went 3-for-3 and homered in his third-straight game as ULL completed a three-game series sweep over ULM with a 7-2 win Saturday afternoon (May 19) at Russo Park. With the loss, the Warhawks dropped out of the Top 10 in the final Sun Belt standings and missed securing a spot in the league's postseason tournament.
 
"I hate it for our seniors and our coaching staff because I know we've worked hard trying to lay a foundation," ULM head coach Mike Federico said. "I felt like we were sitting in a pretty good position to get there and have a chance to compete in the tournament. There were a lot of different factors, but the bottom line is we had six games to get at least one win, and we didn't do it. I tip my cap to Lafayette because they're an extremely well-coached baseball program.
 
"There are a couple of institutions in our league where baseball is important, and I know it's going to happen for us at some point. I was hoping we could get those seniors an opportunity to experience the postseason and for our young guys to know what it's like heading into next year. We going to have a lot of new kids on next year's roster, so there's going to be a learning curve for them."
 
Lee got all the offensive support he needed in the bottom of the first as the Ragin' Cajuns scored four runs on five hits and an error. Cantrelle doubled down the left-field line off ULM starter Justin Olaughlin to set the table for a big inning. Gavin Bourgeois followed with a bunt single and advanced all the way to third on a throwing error by the Warhawk first baseman that scored Cantrelle from second. Daniel Lahare picked up an RBI on a groundout to second base as Bourgeois scored from third. ULL got a double to right center from Hunter Kasuls and a single up the middle from Kennon Fontenot. With runners at the corners and one out, Zach LaFleur executed the safety-squeeze bunt to the pitcher, scoring Kasuls from third. Todd Lott gave the Ragin' Cajuns a 4-0 lead with an RBI triple to left center, scoring Fontenot from second.
 
ULL (33-23, 18-12 Sun Belt) got back-to-back singles from Jonathan Windham and Cantrelle to open the bottom of the second, and a sacrifice fly to right by Bourgeois increased its lead to 5-0.
 
Cantrelle homered to right field off ULM reliever Cole Gray to open the bottom of the fifth for a 6-0 lead. With two outs, Kasuls singled to left field, stole second and scored on an RBI single to left center by Fontenot to close out the scoring for ULL.
 
ULM (23-31, 10-20) got a base hit off Lee in each of the first five innings and finally put some runs on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth. Chad Bell singled up the middle to open the frame, and Turner Francis followed with a single through the right side. Brendan Jordan advanced the base runners with a sacrifice bunt before Gino Marucci produced a two-run double down the left-field line as the Warhawks pulled to within 7-2.
 
Marucci, who went 3-for-4 in his final game in a Warhawk uniform, batted .514 (19-for-37) in 14 games this season, including nine starts down the stretch. He had six multi-hit games, six extra-base hits, 11 RBI and scored 11 runs.
 
Lee (3-6), who issued no walks and recorded seven strikeouts, picked up the win while Olaughlin (2-3), who pitched 3.0 innings and allowed five runs on eight hits with no walks and no strikeouts, took the loss.
 
"I told my guys in the dugout that I didn't want to know the score of the Georgia State-Georgia Southern game," Federico said. "I didn't want to know because I wanted to try to go and win this game. I wanted our guys to earn it (the postseason tournament). I don't ever want anything to be given to the kids that I coach because that's just not life; it's not reality. Will Daniels and all those guys that just graduated aren't going to be handed a new job that pays a bunch of money and start driving nice cars. They need to learn how to earn things. That's the way my heart beats. I'm just disappointed that we didn't make that next step. I understand we nearly doubled the team's win total from last season, but to me, it's about getting to the postseason. Omaha is always on my mind, and if you don't get to a regional, you have no chance to get there.
 
"At the beginning of the year, I told the players you don't want to look back at the end of the year and regret one thing. You want to look back and know that you did everything you could do. I do believe our guys did that. Sure, we lost some games that we should have won, but I don't want them to look back and say what if, what if. We did earn that weekend sweep against Georgia State, but unfortunately, the head-to-head matchup didn't come into play. I tip my hat to both Georgia State and Arkansas State because they had their backs against the wall.
 
"I'll have so many fond memories of each of those seniors, and I'm so proud of those guys," Federico continued. "We'll probably be picked to finish last in the league again next year because we'll have so many new faces on the roster. Our backs will be against the wall, so we'll do it the Warhawk way. We're on our way to making this a baseball program. I believe in my coaches and our administration, and I deeply appreciate our fans. We're on the right track, and we'll get the job done. I'm ready for February to get here right now."