University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, June 4
College Station, Texas
6 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
37-22
6
vs
9
Texas A&M
39-18
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Texas A&M
4
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
1
9
17
4
Louisiana
2
1
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
6
14
2
Late Surge Helps Fifth-Ranked Aggies Rally Past Louisiana, 9-6
6/5/2022 12:16:00 AM | Baseball
Louisiana to face TCU in elimination game at 1 p.m. on Sunday
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Troy Claunch began a five-run rally with an RBI double in a two-run seventh inning and No. 5-ranked Texas A&M erupted for five runs over the final three innings to erase a two-run deficit and defeat the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, 9-6, in a winner's bracket game in the NCAA College Station Regional on Saturday at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
Louisiana (37-22), which had its season-high six-game win streak snapped, will face No. 22-ranked TCU (37-21) on Sunday in a 1 p.m. elimination game. The winner will advance to face host Texas A&M (39-18) on Sunday at 7 p.m., needing two victories to advance to the NCAA Super Regional.
"I thought it was a hell of a game. It was an entertaining game," head coach Matt Deggs said. "Both sides got after it. Both sides competed really hard. Both starters battled really, really well. I also thought that both lefties did a really good job.
"They (Texas A&M) came up with the big hits and they are a really good offense. That's a really good ball club over there. But, I'm proud of our boys and I'm proud of the way we played. Bottom line is that they just out-hit us at the end of the day."
Louisiana found itself in an early 4-0 hole after the Aggies sent eight men and collected five hits in the first inning.
The Ragin' Cajuns would cut the deficit in half in the bottom half of the first on Heath Hood's double which would score Carson Roccaforte and Tyler Robertson. Julian Brock led off the third inning with a home run to center field – his seventh of the season – off A&M starter Nathan Dettmer before the Ragin' Cajuns would claim a 5-4 lead in the third as Hood would drive in Kyle DeBarge on a fielder's choice before Roccaforte stole home on a double steal.
Louisiana extended its lead to 6-4 in the fifth inning when Hood's attempted sacrifice bunt was thrown away for an error – one of four Texas A&M miscues in the game – and allowing Roccaforte to score.
Jacob Palisch (5-3) relieved Dettmer in the fifth inning and kept Louisiana off the board after allowing four hits and striking out three in 3.0 innings of work.
The southpaw's outing allowed Texas A&M to climb back into the game, scoring twice in the seventh on Claunch's two-out RBI double off the left-field wall before tying the game one batter later when Brett Minnich singled through the right side.
Texas A&M claimed the lead for good, 8-6, in the eighth on Jack Moss' hard-hit single off Louisiana reliever Tommy Ray (3-3), before moving to second on a wild pitch and third on a throwing error. Austin Bost would give the Aggies the lead when he homered to left off Jake Hammond before Kole Kaler added an insurance run in the ninth with a solo home run to right.
Brad Rudis pitched the final 1.2 innings and struck out two to earn the save for the Aggies, who limited Louisiana to five hits over the final 4.2 innings. Moss led Texas A&M's attack going 4-for-5 at the plate with Rock and Minnich collecting three hits each.
Roccaforte, who was 3-for-16 in four postseason games, finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored to lead Louisiana with Hood going 2-for-4 with a career-best four RBI. Kyle DeBarge added a pair of hits for the Ragin' Cajuns while Bobby Lada came off the bench to go 2-for-2.
Jacob Schultz struck out seven batters and three earned runs in 4.2 innings on the mound for the Ragin' Cajuns with Ray allowing one run and one hit in 1.0 innings of work.
"The thing about these regionals is that they are not single elimination, they're double elimination," said Deggs. "We've been in this boat before, so we know that there is a path forward and it is doable, but it's going to take some heroic efforts at the same time. I'm proud of these guys. I'd go to battle with them any day. I expect them to get a good night's rest, come out and put on a good show tomorrow."
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.
GAME NOTES
• Tyler Robertson's sacrifice bunt in the fifth inning was his 11th of the season, tying him with Josh Landry (2006) and Seth Harrison (2014) in school history.
• The announced attendance of 6,675 was the fourth-largest crowd in Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park history.
• The 17 hits allowed by Louisiana was the most during the 2022 season.
• The loss was Louisiana's second in 30 games this season when scoring six or more runs.
• Hood extended his streak of reaching base to a career-best 16 games.
• Schultz finished with 104 pitches in his start, his first since throwing 142 pitches in Louisiana's 3-2 win over Texas State last Saturday in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Championships.
• Louisiana fell to 33-35 all-time in NCAA Regional Play.
• The loss was Louisiana's first in a winner's bracket game since a 4-2 loss to Texas at the 2010 NCAA Austin Regional on June 5, 2010.
Louisiana (37-22), which had its season-high six-game win streak snapped, will face No. 22-ranked TCU (37-21) on Sunday in a 1 p.m. elimination game. The winner will advance to face host Texas A&M (39-18) on Sunday at 7 p.m., needing two victories to advance to the NCAA Super Regional.
"I thought it was a hell of a game. It was an entertaining game," head coach Matt Deggs said. "Both sides got after it. Both sides competed really hard. Both starters battled really, really well. I also thought that both lefties did a really good job.
"They (Texas A&M) came up with the big hits and they are a really good offense. That's a really good ball club over there. But, I'm proud of our boys and I'm proud of the way we played. Bottom line is that they just out-hit us at the end of the day."
Louisiana found itself in an early 4-0 hole after the Aggies sent eight men and collected five hits in the first inning.
The Ragin' Cajuns would cut the deficit in half in the bottom half of the first on Heath Hood's double which would score Carson Roccaforte and Tyler Robertson. Julian Brock led off the third inning with a home run to center field – his seventh of the season – off A&M starter Nathan Dettmer before the Ragin' Cajuns would claim a 5-4 lead in the third as Hood would drive in Kyle DeBarge on a fielder's choice before Roccaforte stole home on a double steal.
Louisiana extended its lead to 6-4 in the fifth inning when Hood's attempted sacrifice bunt was thrown away for an error – one of four Texas A&M miscues in the game – and allowing Roccaforte to score.
Jacob Palisch (5-3) relieved Dettmer in the fifth inning and kept Louisiana off the board after allowing four hits and striking out three in 3.0 innings of work.
The southpaw's outing allowed Texas A&M to climb back into the game, scoring twice in the seventh on Claunch's two-out RBI double off the left-field wall before tying the game one batter later when Brett Minnich singled through the right side.
Texas A&M claimed the lead for good, 8-6, in the eighth on Jack Moss' hard-hit single off Louisiana reliever Tommy Ray (3-3), before moving to second on a wild pitch and third on a throwing error. Austin Bost would give the Aggies the lead when he homered to left off Jake Hammond before Kole Kaler added an insurance run in the ninth with a solo home run to right.
Brad Rudis pitched the final 1.2 innings and struck out two to earn the save for the Aggies, who limited Louisiana to five hits over the final 4.2 innings. Moss led Texas A&M's attack going 4-for-5 at the plate with Rock and Minnich collecting three hits each.
Roccaforte, who was 3-for-16 in four postseason games, finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored to lead Louisiana with Hood going 2-for-4 with a career-best four RBI. Kyle DeBarge added a pair of hits for the Ragin' Cajuns while Bobby Lada came off the bench to go 2-for-2.
Jacob Schultz struck out seven batters and three earned runs in 4.2 innings on the mound for the Ragin' Cajuns with Ray allowing one run and one hit in 1.0 innings of work.
"The thing about these regionals is that they are not single elimination, they're double elimination," said Deggs. "We've been in this boat before, so we know that there is a path forward and it is doable, but it's going to take some heroic efforts at the same time. I'm proud of these guys. I'd go to battle with them any day. I expect them to get a good night's rest, come out and put on a good show tomorrow."
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.
GAME NOTES
• Tyler Robertson's sacrifice bunt in the fifth inning was his 11th of the season, tying him with Josh Landry (2006) and Seth Harrison (2014) in school history.
• The announced attendance of 6,675 was the fourth-largest crowd in Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park history.
• The 17 hits allowed by Louisiana was the most during the 2022 season.
• The loss was Louisiana's second in 30 games this season when scoring six or more runs.
• Hood extended his streak of reaching base to a career-best 16 games.
• Schultz finished with 104 pitches in his start, his first since throwing 142 pitches in Louisiana's 3-2 win over Texas State last Saturday in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Championships.
• Louisiana fell to 33-35 all-time in NCAA Regional Play.
• The loss was Louisiana's first in a winner's bracket game since a 4-2 loss to Texas at the 2010 NCAA Austin Regional on June 5, 2010.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Palisch, Jacob (5-3)
L: Ray, Tommy (3-3)
S: Rudis, Brad (3)
Batting:
2B: Claunch, Troy 1
HR: Bost, Austin 1 ; Kaler, Kole 1
RBI: Bost, Austin 2 ; Targac, Ryan 2 ; Claunch, Troy 1 ; Minnich, Brett 3 ; Kaler, Kole 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Moss, Jack 2 ; Rock, Dylan 1 ; Bost, Austin 1 ; Targac, Ryan 2 ; Claunch, Troy 2 ; Kaler, Kole 1
HBP: Thompson, Jordan 1
Batting:
2B: DeBarge, Kyle 1 ; Hood, Heath 1
HR: Brock, Julian 1
RBI: Hood, Heath 4 ; Brock, Julian 1
SH: Robertson, Tyler 2 ; Hood, Heath 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DeBarge, Kyle 1 ; Roccaforte, Carson 3 ; Robertson, Tyler 1 ; Brock, Julian 1
SB: Roccaforte, Carson 1 ; Hood, Heath 1
CS: Veillon, Will 1 ; Willis, CJ 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
3
H
3
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
4
ph/dh
AB
2
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
OF/IF
/ Baseball1B/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
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