The Louisiana Ragon’ Cajuns baseball team didn’t get off to the best start in the College Station Regional as they fell 12-5 to the Texas Longhorns on Friday evening. Matt Deggs’ group entered the loser’s bracket and had to face the Grambling State Tigers early Saturday afternoon. The Cajuns put up runs early and often as they eliminated the Tigers with a 12-5 win.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Louisiana batted first as Trey LaFleur walked with one out. LaFleur stole second then advanced to third on a ground out by Kyle DeBarge. Lee Amedee and Caleb Stelly walked too to load the bases but Conor Higgs lined out and left three on base.
JT Etheridge started for the Cajuns and forced a couple of ground outs to third base before striking out Ashton Inman to end the first inning.
Louisiana put up the game’s first runs at the top of the second. Jose Torres singled after Bryan Broussard Jr. got caught stealing, then Luke Yuhasz reached on a bunt down the third base line. LaFleur got hit by a pitch to load the bases and DeBarge drove in two runs with a single into center field. Amedee reached on an infield single to load the bases again, then Stelly and Higgs walked to bring in two more runs and put the Cajuns up four. Grambling after made a pitching change from Miguel Baez to Carlos Peguero, who forced a fielder’s choice to send it to the bottom of the inning.
Grambling scored their first run at the bottom of the frame as Jose Vargas hit an RBI single into left field with Julian Murphy scoring and Demarckus Smiley advancing to third. Andrew Herrmann came in for Etheridge and struck out Tiger Borom to end the inning.
The Cajuns extended their lead in the third as Torres walked and Yuhasz singled. John Taylor doubled into right field to bring in both runners then DeBarge singled as Taylor scored. DeBarge also made it home on the play due to a throwing error by the catcher to second base. Louisiana was ahead 8-2.
The Tigers cut into the lead a little at the bottom of the third as Cameron Bufford hit a solo home run over left field.
After a couple of scoreless innings, Louisiana extended their lead in the sixth as Amedee walked then advanced to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Broussard Jr hit an RBI single to put the Cajuns up by seven.
Grambling cut into the lead at the bottom of the frame with a two-run home run by Trevor Hatton to make it a 9-4 game in favor of Louisiana.
The Cajuns however added a run in the eighth. Stelly doubled into left field then Higgs hit an RBI double deep into the right-center field gap to give Matt Deggs’ group the six-run cushion. Yuhasz added to that lead to begin the ninth with a solo shot next to the scoreboard.
Following the homer, Taylor reached on an infield single and reached second on a throwing error. Amedee was hit by a pitch and Stelly hit an RBI single into center field to put Louisiana up by eight.
Blake McGehee stayed on the mound for the Cajuns to close out the game. McGehee forced a fly out by Borom but hit Kyle Walker and Bufford. Inman then singled into left field to drive in a run but Julian Murphy grounded into a double play to secure the 12-5 win for the Cajuns and stay alive in the College Station Regional.
BIG NUMBER: 22
There were plenty of hits in Saturday’s loser’s bracket matchup with 22. 14 of those hits came from the Cajuns while the other eight were recorded by Tigers batters.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kyle DeBarge
DeBarge was a huge part of the Cajuns’ offense on Saturday as he finished with two hits, three RBI, and two runs scored on six at-bats as the Cajuns got the 12-4 win and eliminated the Tigers from the College Station Regional.
UP NEXT: The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team will be back tomorrow to play the loser of Texas and Texas A&M. First pitch at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park is scheduled for
The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team’s 2024 season has come to an end and they will be back for Fall ball and begin the 2025 season in mid-February.