It was a beautiful night for baseball at ML Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park as the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (9-11) kicked off a three-game series with South Alabama (15-4) on Friday.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Jaguars didn’t take long to get the scoring going against the Cajuns, scoring in the top half of the 1st on two hits and a Cajuns error. Hunter Stokes delivered the RBI to keep his hot season going, scoring Miles Simington on the play. Brandon Talley ended up throwing 22 pitches in the opening frame. The Cajuns answer in the bottom half with a Max Marusak walk, followed by two stolen bases, and then coming home on a Kyle DeBarge sacrifice to knot it up at 1.
After a Heath Hood double in the bottom of the 2nd, a throwing error on a Julian Brock grounder scores Hood and Louisiana led the contest 2-1. However, no RBI was granted to Brock because of the error.
In the 3rd, Kyle DeBarge gets a single into centerfield and comes home to score all the way from 1st a few batters later on a Will Veillon RBI triple into the gap in right center. Connor Kimple nearly scored Veillon on the next at-bat, but a great grab at the warning track by South Alabama’s Will Turner to end the inning.
To the 4th we go as the Cajuns walk a batter, hit a batter, both runners advance on a wild pitch, and then Diego Altamirano singles to right field to score two runners and tie the game at 3. Talley would throw 34 pitches in the inning, but managed to stop the bleeding and get out of it with the game tied. In the bottom half, Heath Hood led off with a walk and then Julian Brock executes the hit and run to perfection to put runners at the corners with nobody out. However, Jaguars ace Miles Smith would get things under control and get South Alabama out of the inning unscathed.
Bo Bonds replaced Brandon Talley in the 5th to keep the Jags off the board, and then in the 6th, Bonds would throw 14 pitches to strike out the side. Heath Hood would start the bottom of the 6th reaching on an error by the shortstop. Next batter would be Brock, who smashes one to the left field corner to put two runners in scoring position with one out. However, the Cajuns would not be able to get either runner home and the game remains tied, 3-3.
Bonds would handle the seventh in a similar way he did the 6th. After a leadoff single and a walked batter, he struck out 3 straight batters to end the inning without a run.
In the eighth, Bonds kept up his dominance. After a leadoff double, he struck out three straight yet again to keep it tied, 3-3. That’s 10 strikeouts through 3.1 innings for Bonds, tying Jeff Wilson for the most by a Cajuns pitchers in a game this season. Louisiana began the bottom of the 8th with a walk for Will Veillon. Connor Kimple came up next for Louisiana and executed the hit and run to perfection to put runners on 1st and 3rd with nobody out. But again, the Cajuns come away with nothing as Jaguars pitcher Miles Smith continued his excellent performance.
In the ninth, Jaguars go three up, three down, as Orbeta flies out and Bonds strikes out both Turner and Simington for punch-outs 11 and 12 for the sophomore in relief. In the bottom half, Jackson Boyd comes in to relieve Miles Smith. Smith, the Preseason Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year, pitched 8 complete, giving up 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), walking 3 and striking out 12. Max Marusak would put an early damper on Boyd’s line with a leadoff double in the left field corner. Next batter was Tyler Robertson, who sacrificed himself to get Marusak 90 feet away from the win. A short blooper to the pitcher by DeBarge would hang Marusak out to dry and this game goes to extras.
In the 10th, Charles Middleton reached on a throwing error by DeBarge, but was caught stealing by Julian Brock. In the bottom of the 10th, Cajuns were able to get a walk from Will Veillon, who stole second one batter later. Louisiana would strand another batter, the 10th of the night.
In the 11th, Bo Bonds’ magical night had a costly mistake, as Cameron Tissue hit a moonshot to left field to give South Alabama a 4-3 lead. In the Cajuns half of the frame, Brock reaches on a walk and then advances on a Johnathon Brandon lineout. Connor Higgs come in for Julian Brock and scores on a Marusak double to tie the game. Tyler Robertson would then come up and get hit by a pitch, so Louisiana has runners on 1st and 2nd with one out in a tied game. Kyle DeBarge went on to single home Marusak and the Cajuns win in a walk off, 5-4.
BIG NUMBER: 14
14 strikeouts by Bo Bonds, who entered the game in relief, was fantastic regardless of outcome. South AL’s starter, Miles Smith, struck out 12.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Bo Bonds
Bonds was a huge factor in tonight’s game, pitching 5.2 innings with 3 hits, 1 run (HR), 1 walk, and 14 strikeouts.
UP NEXT:
The Ragin Cajuns (10-11, 1-3 SBC) and the Jaguars (15-5, 3-1 SBC) will return to ML Tigue Moore Field tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. for game two of the conference series.