University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Friday, March 15
Jonesboro, Ark.
6:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
9-8, 0-1
8
at
11
Arkansas State
12-7, 1-0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Louisiana
0
0
0
0
3
0
3
2
0
8
12
1
Arkansas State
1
3
0
0
0
2
5
0
X
11
13
2
Red Wolves Claim Wild 11-8 Win Over Cajuns In SBC Opener
3/15/2024 10:50:00 PM | Baseball
JONESBORO, Ark. – Leadoff hitter Wil French hit a pair of home runs, including a grand slam to cap a five-run seventh inning, and Arkansas State withstood a final rally in the ninth to claim a wild 11-8 win over Louisiana in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams on Friday at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field.
The three-game series resumes on Saturday at 3 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with fans able to listen to the game in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app.
A-State (12-7, 1-0 Sun Belt) managed 13 hits in the contest while taking advantage of a season-high 10 walks issued by Louisiana (9-8, 0-1 Sun Belt) pitching. The Red Wolves put the ball in play as Louisiana, sporting the league's best ERA (4.15) and strikeouts per nine inning (11.8), managed three strikeouts as a staff.
Louisiana trailed 4-0 after four innings before scoring three times in the fifth to close the gap to 4-3. Caleb Stelly reached on walk and would eventually score on Trey LaFleur's infield grounder before Kyle DeBarge drove in Josh Alexander with an RBI single to left.
DeBarge, who went 2-for-5 in the contest, moved to third on Lee Amedee's double down the right-field line before scoring on a passed ball.
The Red Wolves extended their lead to 6-3 in the sixth before the Ragin' Cajuns fought back and knotted the game at 6-6 in the top of the seventh inning.
John Taylor led off the inning with a solo home run off A-State reliever Arlon Butts before Louisiana tied the game on Jose Torres' two-out double down the right field line to drive in LaFleur and Amedee.
Arkansas State reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the inning after Allen Grier drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Cason Campbell before French gave the Red Wolves an 11-6 lead with his fourth home run of the season.
DeBarge hit a two-run homer in the eighth to cut the deficit to 11-8 and threatened in the ninth against Red Wolves' pitcher Max Charlton (2-0).
Duncan Pastore led off the ninth with a liner off the hand of Charlton for a single before pinch-hitter Ben Robichaux reached on an A-State error. The Ragin' Cajuns loaded the bases after Alexander's two-out walk but Charlton got Taylor to pop up to third to seal the win.
Charlton pitched the final 2.1 innings with three strikeouts for Arkansas State, which snapped a six-game losing streak to Louisiana. A-State starter Jelle van der Lelie fanned eight batters and scattered four hits in 4.2 innings before Butts tossed 2.0 innings and scattering five hits.
Three of the Red Wolves top four hitters – French, Blake Burris and Austen Jaslove – combined to go 9-for-13 at the plate with nine RBI. Campbell and Cross Jumper each drew three walks.
Blake McGehee (1-1) took the loss for Louisiana after allowing three runs on three hits in 0.1 innings. Starting pitcher LP Langevin allowed four runs and walked five batters before being lifted for David Christie in the third inning.
Amedee led Louisiana at the plate going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Alexander added two hits and scored twice for the Ragin' Cajuns, who finished with 12 hits and left 11 runners on base.
Tickets for Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Baseball are available for purchase on-line at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685).
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.
The three-game series resumes on Saturday at 3 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with fans able to listen to the game in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app.
A-State (12-7, 1-0 Sun Belt) managed 13 hits in the contest while taking advantage of a season-high 10 walks issued by Louisiana (9-8, 0-1 Sun Belt) pitching. The Red Wolves put the ball in play as Louisiana, sporting the league's best ERA (4.15) and strikeouts per nine inning (11.8), managed three strikeouts as a staff.
Louisiana trailed 4-0 after four innings before scoring three times in the fifth to close the gap to 4-3. Caleb Stelly reached on walk and would eventually score on Trey LaFleur's infield grounder before Kyle DeBarge drove in Josh Alexander with an RBI single to left.
DeBarge, who went 2-for-5 in the contest, moved to third on Lee Amedee's double down the right-field line before scoring on a passed ball.
The Red Wolves extended their lead to 6-3 in the sixth before the Ragin' Cajuns fought back and knotted the game at 6-6 in the top of the seventh inning.
John Taylor led off the inning with a solo home run off A-State reliever Arlon Butts before Louisiana tied the game on Jose Torres' two-out double down the right field line to drive in LaFleur and Amedee.
Arkansas State reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the inning after Allen Grier drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Cason Campbell before French gave the Red Wolves an 11-6 lead with his fourth home run of the season.
DeBarge hit a two-run homer in the eighth to cut the deficit to 11-8 and threatened in the ninth against Red Wolves' pitcher Max Charlton (2-0).
Duncan Pastore led off the ninth with a liner off the hand of Charlton for a single before pinch-hitter Ben Robichaux reached on an A-State error. The Ragin' Cajuns loaded the bases after Alexander's two-out walk but Charlton got Taylor to pop up to third to seal the win.
Charlton pitched the final 2.1 innings with three strikeouts for Arkansas State, which snapped a six-game losing streak to Louisiana. A-State starter Jelle van der Lelie fanned eight batters and scattered four hits in 4.2 innings before Butts tossed 2.0 innings and scattering five hits.
Three of the Red Wolves top four hitters – French, Blake Burris and Austen Jaslove – combined to go 9-for-13 at the plate with nine RBI. Campbell and Cross Jumper each drew three walks.
Blake McGehee (1-1) took the loss for Louisiana after allowing three runs on three hits in 0.1 innings. Starting pitcher LP Langevin allowed four runs and walked five batters before being lifted for David Christie in the third inning.
Amedee led Louisiana at the plate going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Alexander added two hits and scored twice for the Ragin' Cajuns, who finished with 12 hits and left 11 runners on base.
Tickets for Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Baseball are available for purchase on-line at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685).
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.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Charlton, Max (2-0)
L: McGehee, Blake (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Amedee, Lee 1 ; Torres, Jose 1
HR: Taylor, John 1 ; DeBarge, Kyle 1
RBI: Taylor, John 1 ; LaFleur, Trey 1 ; DeBarge, Kyle 3 ; Torres, Jose 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Taylor, John 1 ; LaFleur, Trey 1 ; DeBarge, Kyle 2 ; Amedee, Lee 1 ; Stelly, Caleb 1 ; Alexander, Josh 2
SB: Higgs, Conor 1
Batting:
2B: Burris, Blake 2 ; Cail, Daedrick 1
HR: French, Wil 2
RBI: French, Wil 7 ; Burris, Blake 1 ; Jaslove, Austen 1 ; Grier, Allen 1
SH: Ryan, Hunter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: French, Wil 4 ; Campbell, Cason 1 ; Cail, Daedrick 1 ; Jumper, Cross 2 ; Ryan, Hunter 1 ; Grier, Allen 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
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/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
C
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