There’s a reason why they call it the #FunBelt. After a lengthy rain delay, the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns were able to survive the dogfight against Little Rock, winning 19-16.
How It Happened
After Kale Emshoff got the Trojans on the board first with a ground-rule double, the Cajuns responded with a pair of runs thanks to some throwing errors by starting pitcher Cole Townsend.
After a two-out RBI single from Gavin Bourgeois, Hunter Kasuls really busted things wide open in the bottom of the second with a grand slam out to right field to make it 7-1.
However, the Trojans started to fight back in the third with a two-run double from Riley Pittman and evened things up in the fourth with a four-run inning capped off by a three-run blast by Emshoff. The Cajuns took an 8-7 lead before being postponed after an RBI single from Kole McKinnon.
The two teams picked up where they left off at 8:30 am on Thursday morning with the Trojans getting another three-run blast by Troy Alexander in the sixth to take a 9-8 lead. This didn’t last long though with Hunter Kasuls going yard for the second time in the ballgame, this time to score three runs. McKinnon added to that lead with an RBI single to left field.
Things really started to turn into a dogfight in the 7th when Little Rock put up a six-run inning highlighted by a two-run double by Alexander to take the lead once again. Once again, the Cajuns kept responding with a three-run inning capped off by a two-run blast by Kole McKinnon.
The door was slammed shut in the bottom of the eighth though when Zach LaFleur scored off of an error by the Trojans third baseman, followed shortly by McKinnon scoring off of a fielder’s choice by Hayden Cantrelle. Kasuls getting walked with the bases loaded later in the inning officially shut things down.
Logan Stoelke improved to 4-0 on the season, throwing two and two-thirds of an inning of work, allowing four runs off four hits, walked two, and struck out four.
Big Number: 6
Little Rock had a rough game defensively, committing six errors. The pitching staff took the brunt of that with three of those due to a throwing error by the pitcher.
Player of the Game: Hunter Kasuls
This was one of the best single performances by a Cajun player in recent memory, going four-of-five with two home runs and nine RBIs. If that doesn’t get some love, I don’t know what will.
Next Up: vs Troy; First Pitch scheduled for 7:30 pm
-Clint Domingue