After a series sweep over Georgia Southern last weekend, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team got ready for their regular season series finale versus South Alabama. Despite giving up an early home run and a lightning delay, the Cajuns secured the conference with a 6-4 win over the Jaguars.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Andrew Herrmann got the start on the mound for Louisiana and forced a couple of ground outs but Lucas Ismaili hit a solo home run over the left field wall to give South Alabama the early one run lead.
Trey LaFleur led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle, however, Conor Higgs and Kyle DeBarge popped and lined out. John Taylor singled into right field as LaFleur advanced to third but Duncan Pastore left them stranded with a lineout to the Jaguars’ shortstop.
After a scoreless second inning by both teams, the Cajuns tied the game in the third. Herrmann struck out Will Turner and Brennan Holt at the top of the frame and LaFleur led off the bottom of the inning with another single. Taylor walked after Higgs and DeBarge popped out, then Pastore hit the RBI single up the middle to tie the game at one.
JG Bell’s double in the fourth forced the Cajuns to have a mound visit and decide to bring on LP Langevin with one out. Herrmann allowed five hits and one run but also had two strikeouts on Thursday. Langevin capped off the inning with a couple of strikeouts.
Louisiana took the lead in the fourth and started with a double past the third baseline by Jose Torres. Bryan Broussard Jr then copied Torres for the RBI double to put the Cajuns up one. LaFleur matched that hit with an RBI double of his own, this time deep into right field as Matt Deggs’ group went up 3-1. Higgs’ groundout advanced LaFleur and DeBarge was intentionally walked but Taylor hit a groundout to first base to end the inning.
South Alabama regained the lead at the top of the sixth. Holt walked and stole second before Ismaili singled, then Micah Morgan then hit a three-run homer on a 1-2 count to give the Jags the one-run advantage.
Jags starting pitcher Cam Hill was replaced by Gant Starling before the bottom of the sixth began. Hill gave up nine hits and three runs in five full innings.
Broussard immediately got the hit on Starling, then stole second. Higgs tied the game with an RBI single into right field but then turned two to get into scoring position. DeBarge was intentionally walked for a second time after that and both runners stole, then Taylor’s single into center field drove in two runs to put the Cajuns back up. Hill injured himself on the pitch and the game was delayed due to lightning in the area.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Trey LaFleur
The leadoff man for the Cajuns was on fire on Thursday. LaFleur before the delay was 3/4 from the plate with a couple of singles and an RBI double in the 4th inning as Louisiana led 6-4.
UP NEXT: Game one will resume on Friday at 3:00 p.m.