The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball team started strong with their batting against 14th ranked UC Irvine, but cooled off quickly as they fell to 0-1 to start the 2022 season with a 7-4 loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
UC Irvine’s Woody Hadeen and Louisiana’s Max Marusak each got a single down to get things started for the Anteaters and Cajuns, but the first inning came to a close with no runs on either side.
Taishi Nakawake went yard down left center field for the quick 2-0 lead after Jake Spillane got a double. Louisiana’s Jon Brandon tied up the game with a two-run homer that brought home Kyle Debarge.
Following a couple of strikeouts by Drew Shifflet, the Ragin’ Cajuns had back-to-back single-run home runs, first by Connor Kimple, then by Carson Roccaforte. Both nukes landed within feet of each other down right field.
It was three-up-three-down in the fourth for both teams, but at the top of the fifth, UC Irvine’s Connor McGuire’s three RBI double down the left field line that gave the Anteaters the one run lead. Nakawake had an RBI of his own, followed by a sacrifice out by Nathan Church gave Irvine the 7-4 advantage.
Louisiana couldn’t get anything going offensively at the bottom of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth, but the defense held off UC Irvine at the top of the last four innings.
The Cajuns couldn’t generate enough offense in at the bottom of the ninth inning as Louisiana falls to 0-1 to start the season.
BIG NUMBER: 12
UC Irvine had 12 hits Friday evening as the Ragin’ Cajuns fell to the Anteater’s 7-4.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Taishi Nakawake
The Anteater’s shortstop helped elevate his squad as he recorded three RBI’s to go along with a run and two hits to go up 1-0 in the series.
UP NEXT: Louisiana ( 0 – 1 ) will be back tomorrow afternoon for Game 2 against UC Irvine with first pitch set for 2 p.m.