Feb. 26, 2011

Final Stats

Dan Paolini homered and the Siena baseball team out hit Louisiana 12-3 in Lafayette Saturday afternoon, but it wasn't enough to chalk up the first victory of the season. The Rajin Cajuns scored four times in the third, and Siena couldn't quite make up an early 5-1 deficit, falling for the fifth straight time to open the season, 5-4.

Paolini homered in the first inning, and Siena was off an running. Greg Fontenout reached on an error to start the second for Louisiana, and he later scored the equalizer. It was the first of three costly unearned runs Siena allowed.

For the second straight game, Siena's pitching staff matched one of the units in the South pitch for pitch. Sophomore Justin Brantley started and worked six innings, allowing just two earned runs and two hits. He did sacrifice all five runs ULL scored, four coming in the third despite just one hit. C.J. Sohl relieved Brantley in the seventh and did not allow a run in two strong innings of relief.

Kevin Quaranto singled home two runs in the fifth, and Siena made it a one-run game with a tally in the seventh, but a double-play kept the Saints from doing more damage. Siena again threatened in the eighth, getting the tying run to third with less than two outs, but ultimately left two more men on base.

Quaranto ended with three hits and the two RBI. Freshmen John Rooney and Vincent Citro each collected three hits as well, and Paolini ended with two hits and two RBI.

Siena's defense was again less than stellar. The Saints had two errors, both contributing to ULL rallies.

Louisiana improved to 7-0 all-time against Siena. The Saints try to avoid the series sweep Sunday at 11 a.m. local (CST) time.