Charpentier earns win

Senior Ryan Wilson’s three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth lifted the 14th ranked Louisiana-Lafayette baseball team to a 9-8 win against Eastern Illinois in the series finale Sunday afternoon at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.
Wilson had a career-high four RBIs in the game.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette freshman Chris Charpentier, a Berwick High School alum, was credited with the win after pitching 1.2 innings in relief. Charpentier, making his second relief appearance of the weekend, surrendered an earned run on a hit on Sunday.
EIU’s Garrison Stenger was tabbed with the loss. Stenger surrendered five runs on seven hits in 2.2 innings of work.
The Ragin’ Cajuns (3-1) posted double-digit hits in the second straight contest as they were edged out 13-12 in hits by the Panthers (1-3). Outfielders Seth Harrison and Evan Powell each had three hits in the game with Harrison going 3-for-5 with a triple, RBI and scoring a run, while Powell was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
Eastern Illinois got the scoring started in the top of the first when Mitch Gasbarro came in to score on a ball hit to first by Caleb Howell.
Louisiana-Lafayette answered in the bottom half of the first, plating four runs on three hits and an EIU error to take a 4-1 advantage. Jace Conrad got things going with an RBI triple to center. After a Tyler Girouard RBI double, Ryan Leonards came in to score on a ball hit to short by Wilson. Powell capped the scoring for the Cajuns in the inning, driving in Girouard on a single to right.
In the top of the fourth, EIU cut the lead to 4-2 on an RBI single by catcher Jacob Reese.
Eastern Illinois pulled in front 7-4 in the top of the fifth, scoring five runs on four hits and a Cajuns error. A Brant Valach three-run triple to right center highlighted the scoring for the Panthers.
The Ragin’ Cajuns regained the lead in the bottom half of the fifth, answering with a five-spot of their own fueled by five hits, including the Wilson three-run homer. Louisiana-Lafayette also scored on a Blake Trahan single and a Harrison triple.
With the Cajuns up 9-7 in the top of the sixth, Howell knocked in his third run of the game on a sacrifice fly to right field to pull the Panthers within a run.
Eastern Illinois saw the minimum go to plate in the seventh and eighth innings as senior Matt Hicks was solid in relief for Louisiana-Lafayette.
In the top half of the ninth, EIU threatened with runners on second and third and one out, but freshman reliever Reagan Bazar got Valach to pop up to short and Montana Timmons to line out to center to end the threat and pick up his first career save.
Louisiana set a series attendance record against EIU with 10,556 in attendance during the weekend. That mark bests the 9,032 that saw the Cajuns play against South Alabama on May 16-18, 2003.
Cajuns beat Panthers
in double-header
Louisiana (2-1) won a tightly contested 1-0 game to start off the day, and then came back to rout the Panthers (1-2) in the evening contest, 13-0, fueled by an 11-hit effort.
The Cajuns got a couple quality starts out of newcomers Carson Baranik and Greg Milhorn in their debuts. Baranik threw 7.1 scoreless innings while striking out eight with two walks and limited EIU to just one hit. Milhorn followed Baranik’s stellar outing by going six scoreless innings with three strikeouts and a walk.
Matt Borens was tabbed with the loss for EIU in the first game as he matched Baranik, limiting the Cajuns to one run in six innings with seven strikeouts. In the second game, Christian Slazinik was touched up for six runs (four earned) in four innings of work to pick up his first loss of the season.
Conrad led the Cajuns at the dish going 3-for-6 on the day with two RBIs, a home run and a walk. Mike Strentz bounced back in the second game to go 3-for-6 with an RBI and scored a couple runs, while Leonards, Wilson and Kyle Clement each brought in a pair of runs in the second game.
In the first game, Conrad gave the Cajuns their first lead of the season, driving the first pitch he saw in the third inning over the wall in right field to make the score 1-0.
Both teams were scoreless during the final six frames as Louisiana-Lafayette picked up its first shutout of the season.
Hicks and Wilson preserved the shutout for the Cajuns, going a combined 1.2 scoreless innings as Wilson earned his first save of the season and second of his career in the game.
Conrad did it again in the second game, putting the squad in front 1-0 in the bottom of the third on an RBI single to left center.
The Ragin’ Cajuns added a run in the bottom of the fourth when Trahan came in to score on an EIU error by shortstop Marshawn Taylor.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Cajuns’ offense exploded for five runs on five hits highlighted by a two-run triple by Leonards. Strentz and Wilson both had RBI singles in the inning.
Louisiana-Lafayette continued the onslaught in the bottom of the sixth, adding five more runs on three hits and four walks. Seth Harrison led off the inning with a home run to left. Trahan and Clement both drew bases loaded walks later in the inning, while Nick Thurman was hit by a pitch with the bases full of Cajuns.
Clement capped the scoring for the Ragin’ Cajuns in the bottom of the eighth, bringing in Wilson to make the final 13-0.
Ben Carter and Bazar combined to throw three scoreless innings of relief in the second game to complete the second shutout of the day.
EIU 5, ULL 1
The 14th ranked Louisiana baseball team fell in its season opener to Eastern Illinois Friday night at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.
The Cajuns were outhit 12-3 in the contest by the Panthers as there was only one extra-base hit between the two teams.
Junior Austin Robichaux was tabbed with the loss after giving up three runs — one earned — on eight hits in five innings. Robichaux struck out four and did not allow a free pass.
EIU’s Jake Johansmeier picked up his first win of the season, holding the Ragin’ Cajuns to one run on three hits in six innings.
Offensively, Girouard was the lone bright spot at the plate for Louisiana-Lafayette, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.
Howell led the way for the Panthers, going 3-for-5 with an RBI, while both Demetre Taylor and Frankie Perrone notched a couple hits in the game.
EIU broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth when Howell reached on a single and then came around to score on a passed ball.
The Panthers increased their advantage to 3-0 in the top of the fifth on a pair of hits. Jason Scholl singled in Jacob Reese with one out, and Taylor knocked in Gasbarro on a single to right.
In the top seventh, Eastern Illinois added another run as Tyler Schweigert scored on a Louisiana-Lafayette error to extend the lead to 4-0.
The Cajuns got on the board in the bottom half of the seventh when sophomore Trahan singled in Strentz to cut the EIU lead to 4-1.
EIU added an insurance run in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Howell to make the final 5-1.
Joe Greenfield earned the save for the Panthers, throwing two scoreless innings of relief while striking out three.
The Cajuns are slated to return to action Wednesday when they face Northwestern State on the road at 6 p.m.
For more info and a behind the scenes look of Ragin’ Cajuns baseball, follow the team on twitter @CajunsBaseball.