By ROBERT L. LEE

Last night Tulane took on U.L. Lafayette at Alex Box staduim with the hope of revenging their two losses earlier in the regular season.

It seems the Green Wave had some troubles containing the Ragin’ Cajuns once they got on base and couldn’t help but let them steal one after another, about 15 times.

Now excuse me if I may seem partial, but graduating from Lafayette at a time when the football program was down and stuck in the tubes and the baseball team was doing good and taking names, a heavy percent of the sporting enthusiasm shifted to their diamond. Especially since they tripped up the L.S.U. Tigers in Alex Box, it makes an underdog feel good.

Tulane’s first of two back-to-back games with ULL brought the Green Wave a disheartening 12-2 loss on top of an already shaking season start. On the second day, it’s evident by the score alone the Green Wave was beginning to fight fire with water and flood the game into an extra inning.

However, Tulane fell in the 10th, when the Cajuns ended the game up 5-4.

Our deadline guillotine falls before the game begins, so right now I can only hope the Cajuns use the same rage and technique they mastered to take down the Tigers. As smart as ULL coach Tony Robichaux is, he should have instilled in his team the knowing that the Green Wave has been on a roll since the two teams’ meeting a few months ago.

The Tulane players are seemingly more confident, what they say and how they feel can easily be opposite, and they have a growing win record to help back it up. ULL is still on top on paper, of course, with a 37-21 record, while Tulane is a couple of swings behind at 35-25. Coaches will say it, and players have heard it enough times to spout it out without thinking, now the records are all 0-0. However, simply by saying you are in the post season now, does not erase a team’s earlier history. These teams were fighting to win those earlier games and I doubt any losses were just efforts to practice a good poker face.

I know I am saying this beforehand and that’s the point, If the Ragin’ Cajuns take on Tulane like the opponent they know they are, Tulane will be one step closer to elimination and the Cajuns on track with their winning record. No matter what, both teams’ top left-handed pitchers heading the playoff game should spur both teams to play hard all night.

ROBERT L. LEE is the sports editor. You can reach him at 985-652-9545 or via fax: 985-652-3885.