Jags Overtake Cajuns in Fourth Inning and Hold on For Series Win

Contact: Matt Hebert

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MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama had eight consecutive batters reach base in the fourth inning which produced four runs to give the Jaguars the lead and closer Kyle Bartsch snuffed out a Ragin' Cajuns rally in the eighth inning to preserve a 5-3 win Sunday afternoon at Stanky Field.

That one inning turned out to be the difference maker for Louisiana (18-21, 7-11 Sun Belt) which lost a Sun Belt series for the second straight weekend. After the four-spot, Joe Zimmermann and Caleb Kellogg combined to blank the Jaguars (16-24, 10-8 Sun Belt) over the final four innings.

Louisiana is back in action on Wednesday, April 25 hosting McNeese State in a midweek game at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field. First pitch is set for 6 p.m., in what will be the Cajuns final home midweek game of the season.

The Ragin' Cajuns next Sun Belt series is set for Friday-Sunday, April 27-29 in Little Rock, Ark., against UALR at Gary Hogan Field. Start times are 6 p.m., 4 p.m. and 1 p.m.

Louisiana carried a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning after a Dylan Butler RBI double broke a 1-all tie in the top half of the inning.

Cajuns starting pitcher Jordan Harrison, who scattered three hits over the first three innings, got a quick out when Brad Hook swung at a first pitch and grounded out to first base. Harrison then issued a one-out walk to Hunt Griffith and the Jaguars hitters began a string of five consecutive hits which led to a lead change.

A Robby Campbell single, followed by a Colin Bray double into the right center field gap scored Griffith and drew a 2-all tie. UL picked up the second out of the inning as Campbell was thrown out at home attempting to score from first.

Three straight two-out singles off of Harrison broke the tie and plated two more runs. A third run, which upped the lead to 5-2, crossed when Matt Hicks hit Dustin Dalken with the bases loaded.

Hicks stopped the Jaguars uprising by inducing a grounder from Hook for the final out, then Zimmermann took over in the fifth inning and posted zeros to give his teammates a chance.

UL moved within two runs, 5-3, on a Chase Compton RBI single up the middle off of USA reliever Jarrett Bailey in the eighth inning. Butler then sent a high chopper over the head of Hook at first and down the right field line to put the tying run aboard.

Bartsch entered in relief of Bailey and despite issuing a walk to Tyler Frederick to load the bases, would put an end to the UL rally by striking out Daniel Nichols.

Kellogg stranded a USA baserunner at third base with back-to-back strikeouts to hold the deficit at two runs going to the ninth inning. Bartsch didn't give the Cajuns an opportunity at a comeback as he proceeded to strike out the side in the ninth inning to secure the series victory for the Jaguars with his second save of the weekend.

UL posted 10 hits marking the third time in four games the squad reached double figures. Butler, Ryan Leonards and Tyler Girouard each tallied two hits.

Butler collected an RBI which increased his team-leading total to 36. The freshman from Belle Chasse is just four RBI shy of becoming the first freshman to post 40 RBI since Les Smith (41) in 2009.

Harrison was handed the defeat after being responsible for all five USA runs over 3 2/3 innings of work. Zimmermann threw extremely well for the third straight outing, tossing scoreless relief for 3 1/3 innings. Kellogg bounced back from the three-run inning allowed on Friday by collecting the two strikeouts with a runner on third base in the eighth inning.

The loss continued the Cajuns current trend of alternating wins and losses since the Saturday victory in the FIU series. The defeat also dropped the Ragin' Cajuns into a three-way tie for seventh place in the Sun Belt standings with UALR and La.-Monroe with four weekends remaining in the regular season.

The Jaguars struck first after loading the bases in the second inning with a leadoff single, hit by pitch and one-out single. Campbell lifted a sacrifice fly to left center field to bring home Nick Zaharion (leadoff single) for a 1-0 USA lead.

The Cajuns picked up the equalizer in the top of the third inning after Nichols led off with a single, later stole second and advanced to third on an error then scored when Girouard singled into center field.

Louisiana got the lead man aboard in the fourth inning and it paid dividends once more. Jace Conrad started the frame with a single to left center, moved up to second on a fielding error by Bray and scored when Butler doubled off the left field wall.

Harrison began the Jaguars half of the fourth inning innocently with a grounder off the bat from Hook. However, a one-out walk issued to Griffith would mark the first of six consecutive Jaguars to reach base off the lefty which ended his day and vaulted USA into the lead for good.

BASES NOTED: Over his last two relief appearances (April 15 vs. FIU/April 22 at USA), Joe Zimmermann has tossed 6 2/3 innings of scoreless relief…Dominick Francia, a native of Mobile and whose father and uncle both played baseball at South Alabama, started in center field Saturday and Sunday…Cajuns pitching made it 23 straight games holding the opposition to single digits by limiting the Jaguars to five Sunday afternoon…UL's staff has held the opposition to single digits in 38 of 39 games this season, and hasn't given up double figures since Sunday, March 11 vs. Southern Miss…The pitching staff held South Alabama to 13 runs, the second-lowest output for the Jaguars' offense in Sun Belt play (scored 11 vs. Middle Tennessee March 30-April 1)…Louisiana has now played 22 games decided by two runs or less and hold an 11-11 record in that situation…Jace Conrad extended his current hitting streak to six games with a leadoff single in the fourth inning…Conrad and Dylan Butler paced the Cajuns offensive with five hits apiece in the USA series…South Alabama increased its lead in the all-time series to 56-35…Louisiana has closed the gap in the Tony Robichaux era, trailing 36-31 (Robichaux has been at the helm for 31 of UL's all-time 35 series wins).

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Jags Overtake Cajuns in Fourth Inning and Hold on For Series Win

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