STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns’ season came to an end on a humid Sunday evening at Dudy Noble Field.
Behind four home runs, Mississippi State defeated Louisiana 19-5 to win the NCAA Starkville Regional and punch its ticket to the NCAA Super Regionals. The Ragin’ Cajuns end the season at 41-25 overall, and their second trip to a regional final in the past three years, and 11th overall.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Mississippi State wasted little time as the Bulldogs plated two runs in the opening frame, as leadoff hitter Gehrig Frei hit one over the centerfield wall, and then three batters later, Jacob Parker did the same thing.
In the second, Ryder Woodson hit a one-out solo home run off of Louisiana’s Sawyer Pruitt. The Cajuns starter then hit Kevin Milewski, who advanced to second on a wild pitch, and then was joined on the base paths by Bryce Chance, who was walked. Ragin’ Cajuns skipper Matt Deggs decided to pull Pruitt for Ty Roman, who came in and got Frei to ground out into an inning-ending double play.
Mississippi State threatened again in the third, but Louisiana’s Roman got out of the jam by getting Vytas Valincius to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Louisiana got on the board in the bottom frame as Noah Lewis hit a two-out solo home. Blaze Rodriguez followed with a double down the right field line and advanced to third on an error on a pickoff attempt. Mississippi State’s Ryan McPherson got Mark Collins to strike out to end the inning.
In the fourth, Mississippi State blew the game open.
Louisiana’s Noah Lewis lost a deep fly ball by Reed Stallman in the lights, and that resulted in a ground rule double. Two batters later, Milewski hit a single that scored Stallman. A few batters later, Frei singled through the right side to bring in a run, and then Ace Reese hit a two-run home run.
Mississippi State added another run in the fifth with an RBI single by Woodson.
Louisiana got a run back in the bottom frame as Maddox Mandino led off with a single up the middle, and two hitters later, Lewis hit a single through the right side. Lewis then stole second, which allowed Mandino to score on the throw. Unfortunately, moments later, Lewis was thrown out trying to steal third.
Cajuns got on the board in the sixth on a Colt Brown solo home run.
The Bulldogs added to their lead by scoring five more runs in the seventh off Cajun relievers Hayden Pearson and Landon Victorian.
Mandino led off the seventh with a single to left field and then two batters later advanced to third on a single by Lewis. Rodriguez then laid down a bunt single that scored Mandino. Lee Amedee then singled to drive in Lewis.
Mississippi State added a two-run home run by Parker in the top of the eighth to extend its lead to 10 runs. Then the Bulldogs’ Vytas Valincius blasted a grand slam off of Andrew Hermann in the ninth.
BIG NUMBER I: 66
With Sunday’s game, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns played in 66 games this season, which is the most in the country. The 66 games are also the most the program has played in since taking part in 68 contests in the 2014 season.
BIG NUMBER II: 95
With the seven home runs given up on Sunday, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns had given up 95 homers on the season, which is the most in a single season in program history.
BIG NUMBER III: 174
In the seventh inning, Amedee singled through the left side of the infield, and that hit brought home a run. It was also the 174th of the Ragin’ Cajuns’ captain’s career.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME: NOAH LEWIS & DREW MARKLE
Lewis went 3-for-4 with one run scored, one RBI, one home run, and a stolen base. Markle went 3-for-5 with a double.