Red Wolves Answer Each Cajuns Rally to Claim Series Finale

Contact: Matt Hebert

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LAFAYETTE – Arkansas State seemed to find an answer every time Louisiana made up ground in Sunday's series finale at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field and as a result the visiting Red Wolves escaped with an 8-7 victory that claimed the weekend Sun Belt series from the Ragin' Cajuns.

In the bottom half of the sixth inning, the Cajuns (13-10, 3-3 Sun Belt), who were playing from behind since a two-spot helped ASU (13-10, 5-1 Sun Belt) reclaim the lead 3-1 in the second inning, continued the back-and-forth scoring as they scratched across a run on a single up the middle by Daniel Nichols.

Later in the inning, Brian Bowman tied the contest at 5-5 on a two-out RBI single through the right side of the infield.

Michael Faulker put Arkansas State back in front in the top of the seventh on a bases loaded two-run single to make the score 7-5. UL got a run back in the bottom of the seventh on an infield single by second baseman Jace Conrad.

Faulkner knocked in his third run of the afternoon in the top of the ninth on a two-out RBI single to center field to extend the ASU edge to 8-6. A failed pickoff attempt moved Collin Massanelli, who reached on a fielder's choice grounder with two outs, to move into scoring position.

Louisiana kept chipping away at the ASU lead, as Nichols made it a one-run game in the bottom of the ninth by singling in Tyler Fredrick for the second time in the contest. However, Arkansas State reliever John Koch induced a fly ball to center by Conrad to end the game.

“We just couldn't close out innings today and that was the difference in the game,” head coach Tony Robichaux said. “Our hitters did a great job of fighting. We got behind early and we kept fighting back and fighting back and we never could get back on top of them.”

“(Jordan) Harrison gave us everything he had,” Robichaux said. “(Matt) Hicks also gave us everything he had, and you can't ask anything more than that from those two guys. We just gave up too many two-out hits. We have to get better as a pitching staff.”

Louisiana is back in action on Wednesday, March 28 at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge against LSU. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. The squad then travels to Boca Raton, Fla., for a Sun Belt series Friday-Sunday, March 30-April 1 with Florida Atlantic.

Starter Joe Zimmerman had a no decision after leaving the game in the second inning. Zimmerman was touched for three runs on five hits in the outing.

Jordan Harrison, who threw three scoreless innings to get the win in relief on Friday, entered in the fourth inning and escaped a bases loaded jam with a strikeout and ground out. He pitched into the seventh inning holding the Red Wolves to one run which came on a Logan Uxa solo home run in the sixth inning.

Until Uxa's homer, Harrison had shut down ASU with five full innings of scoreless and hitless baseball in the series.

Harrison wound up the hard-luck loser in the contest, though, after he left with one out in the seventh inning and runners on second and third base after a failed pickoff attempt at second base. Both baserunners wound up scoring when Matt Hicks surrendered the bases loaded single to Faulkner which broke the 5-5 tie.

Chandler Hawkins, who recorded the final out in the bottom of the sixth inning to halt a Cajuns rally, picked up the win. Koch pitched the final 2 2/3 innings for ASU and held on for the save even though he allowed an inherited runner to score in the seventh an additional run in the ninth.

Nichols tied his season-highs with three runs scored and two RBI to pace the Cajuns efforts. Dylan Butler posted an RBI for the 11^th time in the past 13 games with a RBI groundout in the bottom of the first inning.

The Cajuns surrendered the early lead to Arkansas State for the third straight game after Uxa singled in a run in the top of the first.

In the bottom half of the first, Bowman had a lead off double to get in scoring position for the Cajuns. After a Tyler Girouard sac bunt moved Bowman to third, Bulter evened the game at 1-all on a ball hit to first.

The Red Wolves regained the lead in the top of the second on an error by Chase Compton. Later in the inning, Zach George increased the ASU advantage to 3-1 with an RBI double to left.

UL cut the Arkansas State lead to one run in the bottom half of the inning as Nichols came in to score on a Ryan Leonards single.

ASU picked up a run in the third on a ball hit to short by Anthony Hecht. UL pulled back within a run in the bottom half of the frame when Nichols came around to score on an Arkansas State throwing error.

The see-saw battle continued in the top of the sixth when Uxa homered down the line in right to make the score 5-3.

BASES NOTED: Time of the game was three hours, 21 minutes – the first nine-inning game this season that last longer than three hours…In two relief stints over the weekend, Jordan Harrison tossed six innings and threw 85 pitches…In those six innings, Harrison limited ASU to just two hits and three runs (two runs crossed after he was lifted in the seventh inning)… Night and day games have provided a stark contrast for the Ragin' Cajuns – UL is 10-1 in night games and only 3-9 in day games…Arkansas State has now won seven of the last nine series meetings at “The Tigue”…The Cajuns played their sixth one-run game of the season…Daniel Nichols increased his season RBI total to 15, which is his highest output in a UL uniform (previous was 12 in 2011)…UL picked up three more sacrifice hits to stretch the season total to 33 through 23 games…The Cajuns are on pace to break the school record for sacrifice hits for the second straight season (59 in 2011 is the current record)…Seven different Cajuns have scored double figure runs, led by 19 from Ryan Leonards…Louisiana pitching has held the opposition to single digits in runs in 22 of 23 games…Sunday marked the seventh straight game the staff surrendered single digits since allowing 11 to Southern Miss on Sunday, March 11.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Red Wolves Answer Each Cajuns Rally to Claim Series Finale

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