University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Sunday, March 17
Jonesboro, Ark.
1:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
11-8, 2-1
8
at
5
Arkansas State
12-9, 1-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Louisiana
0
2
1
0
2
3
0
0
0
8
11
3
Arkansas State
1
1
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
5
8
2
Cajuns Pull Away Late; Martinez Shuts Down A-State, 8-5
3/17/2024 5:53:00 PM | Baseball
JONESBORO, Ark. – Josh Alexander's RBI double in the sixth inning began a three-run rally while Jack Martinez struck out five batters over the final 3.2 innings as Louisiana earned an 8-5 Sun Belt Conference victory over Arkansas State on Sunday at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field.
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Conor Higgs and Kyle DeBarge each homered as Louisiana (11-8, 2-1 Sun Belt) collected 11 hits and claimed its SBC-opening series for the second consecutive year. Steven Cash (1-0) earned the victory after pitching 2.1 innings in relief before Martinez retired 12 of 14 batters down the stretch to earn his first save.
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Louisiana claimed the lead for good in the sixth after Higgs led off with a single before Jose Torres flied out to right. One pitch after Higgs stole second, Alexander ripped a double inside the first-base line off ASU reliever Hunter Draper (1-1) to break a 5-5 tie.
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Trey LaFleur followed with an RBI single to plate Alexander before scoring two batters later with Bryan Broussard, Jr., reached on an infield RBI single.
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A-State scored an unearned run in the first inning before Higgs tied the contest at 1-1 in the second with his second home run of the season. The Ragin' Cajuns took a 2-1 lead in the second when LaFleur drove in Torres with an RBI single to left before the Red Wolves knotted the game in the bottom half of the inning on a Ragin' Cajuns error.
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Duncan Pastore's RBI double to left scored DeBarge for a 3-2 lead before the Red Wolves forced the third tie of the game on Cason Tollett's solo homer to left.
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DeBarge belted his eighth home run of the season when he drove in John Taylor for a 5-3 lead in the fifth before Daedrick Cail's two-run single to right plated Tollett and Allen Grier.
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Four players – Broussard, Higgs, Alexander and LaFleur – each recorded two hits to lead Louisiana. Carson Fluno pitched 3.0 innings for Louisiana allowing four hits and an earned run with a pair of strikeouts.
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Draper gave up three earned runs on four hits in 1.1 innings for A-State after relieving starter Dylan Heine in the fifth. Grier and Cade Tucker had two hits each for the Red Wolves.
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Louisiana will open a six-game homestand beginning on Tuesday when it hosts Southern at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. The Ragin' Cajuns will also host McNeese on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before hosting Old Dominion in a three-game series beginning on Friday.
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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).
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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.
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For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.
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Conor Higgs and Kyle DeBarge each homered as Louisiana (11-8, 2-1 Sun Belt) collected 11 hits and claimed its SBC-opening series for the second consecutive year. Steven Cash (1-0) earned the victory after pitching 2.1 innings in relief before Martinez retired 12 of 14 batters down the stretch to earn his first save.
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Louisiana claimed the lead for good in the sixth after Higgs led off with a single before Jose Torres flied out to right. One pitch after Higgs stole second, Alexander ripped a double inside the first-base line off ASU reliever Hunter Draper (1-1) to break a 5-5 tie.
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Trey LaFleur followed with an RBI single to plate Alexander before scoring two batters later with Bryan Broussard, Jr., reached on an infield RBI single.
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A-State scored an unearned run in the first inning before Higgs tied the contest at 1-1 in the second with his second home run of the season. The Ragin' Cajuns took a 2-1 lead in the second when LaFleur drove in Torres with an RBI single to left before the Red Wolves knotted the game in the bottom half of the inning on a Ragin' Cajuns error.
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Duncan Pastore's RBI double to left scored DeBarge for a 3-2 lead before the Red Wolves forced the third tie of the game on Cason Tollett's solo homer to left.
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DeBarge belted his eighth home run of the season when he drove in John Taylor for a 5-3 lead in the fifth before Daedrick Cail's two-run single to right plated Tollett and Allen Grier.
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Four players – Broussard, Higgs, Alexander and LaFleur – each recorded two hits to lead Louisiana. Carson Fluno pitched 3.0 innings for Louisiana allowing four hits and an earned run with a pair of strikeouts.
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Draper gave up three earned runs on four hits in 1.1 innings for A-State after relieving starter Dylan Heine in the fifth. Grier and Cade Tucker had two hits each for the Red Wolves.
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Louisiana will open a six-game homestand beginning on Tuesday when it hosts Southern at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. The Ragin' Cajuns will also host McNeese on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before hosting Old Dominion in a three-game series beginning on Friday.
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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).
Â
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.
Â
For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cash, Steven (1-0)
L: Draper, Hunter (1-1)
S: Martinez, Jack (1)
Batting:
2B: Pastore, Duncan 1 ; Alexander, Josh 1
HR: DeBarge, Kyle 1 ; Higgs, Conor 1
RBI: Broussard, Jr., Bryan 1 ; DeBarge, Kyle 2 ; Pastore, Duncan 1 ; Higgs, Conor 1 ; Alexander, Josh 1 ; LaFleur, Trey 2
SH: Broussard, Jr., Bryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Taylor, John 1 ; DeBarge, Kyle 2 ; Higgs, Conor 2 ; Torres, Jose 1 ; Alexander, Josh 1 ; LaFleur, Trey 1
SB: Broussard, Jr., Bryan 1 ; Higgs, Conor 1
Batting:
2B: French, Wil 1
3B: Tucker, Cade 1
HR: Tollett, Cason 1
RBI: Tollett, Cason 1 ; Cail, Daedrick 2
Base Running:
RUNS: French, Wil 1 ; Tollett, Cason 2 ; Grier, Allen 1 ; Tucker, Cade 1
HBP: Jaslove, Austen 1 ; Tucker, Cade 1 ; Campbell, Cason 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
OF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
C
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