Logos from Louisiana and Grambling Athletics
Louisiana opened their second consecutive five-game week with an in-state matchup against Grambling tonight. Julian Brock had six RBIs and the Cajuns held the Tigers to just two hits in the contest en route to a 13-1 win.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Sam Hill didn’t have the greatest start on the mound for Louisiana, starting the game with a hit batter before walking the next Tiger to put two on with nobody out. Trevor Hatton then hit a sacrifice fly to straight center to score a run for Grambling and give them the early 1-0 lead.
Louisiana answered in the bottom of the second inning with a John Taylor leadoff walk. Taylor advanced on a passed ball before going to third on a fielder’s choice groundout before stealing home on a double steal to tie the game. Later in the inning, Max Marusak hit a grounder to second that was bobbled and allowed Wil Veillon to score and make it a 2-1 Cajuns lead.
Heath Hood started the bottom of the third with a single before getting his first stolen base of the night to give him 14 on the season. He later came around to score on a Julian Brock sacrifice fly, which gave Brock the national lead for sac flies this season. Louisiana led Grambling 3-1 after three complete innings.
In the fourth, Ben Robichaux and Carson Roccaforte were hit by pitches to get two runners on and a wild pitch was able to score Ben Robichaux after both runners advanced on groundouts. Then, Heath Hood ripped a single to left field to score Roccaforte and the lead was extended to 5-1 for the Cajuns.
Julian Brock continued his run of form with a 414-foot home run to left field to increase the lead to 6-1 for Louisiana in the fifth. The Cajuns added to the tally later in the inning on a double steal to score Veillon and make it 7-1. Louisiana was at 10 steals on the night, only two off of the program record. Heath Hood came up with the bases loaded and drove in two more Cajuns with a single up the gap to make it 9-1 Louisiana after a four-run fifth.
Julian Brock came up once again in the fifth with the bases loaded and launched his second grand slam in the last three games to make it 13-1 Cajuns. For Brock, it was also his second homer of the inning.
Steven Cash and Connor Doucet split the seventh inning, finishing it off with a double play to secure the run-rule win.
BIG NUMBER: 13
Louisiana poured 13 runs on the Grambling Tigers tonight, scoring a pair each in the second and fourth, one in the third, and eight in the fifth.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Julian Brock
Brock was excellent on the night, going 2-3 with two homers and a sacrifice fly. The Fulshear, TX native had six RBIs for the Cajuns
UP NEXT: Louisiana (15-6) will return to M.L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park tomorrow night to host Southeastern Louisiana. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.