ULL stays alive in Lafayette regional

The top-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette baseball team scored 12 runs in the first four innings to cruise to a 14-8 victory against Mississippi State Sunday night at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.
With the win, the Ragin’ Cajuns force a winner-take-all championship game today at 6 p.m. at “the Tigue.”
Jace Conrad, Blake Trahan and Dylan Butler each had three hits in the game as the Cajuns (56-8) pounded out 18 hits. Conrad and Seth Harrison each had three RBIs in the nightcap.
Cody Boutte (9-0) surrendered five runs on 10 hits in 6.1 innings with four strikeouts.
Mississippi State starter Ross Mitchell (8-5) was saddled with the loss to fall. Mitchell surrendered six runs on seven hits in three innings.
Brett Pirtle led the Bulldogs (39-23) offensively with a game-high four hits and three RBIs.
Conrad got things going offensively in the bottom of the first as he rocketed a two-run homer run, his second home run of the day, over the right field fence for a 2-0 advantage.
In the bottom of the second, Butler extended the lead to 3-0 on hard hit single back up the middle that plated Harrison.
The Bulldogs answered in the top of the third to tie the game with three runs on three hits. Pirtle drove in the first run of the inning for Mississippi State on a single to right-center.
In the next at bat, Gavin Collins drove a sacrifice fly into left field to cut the lead to one run. Wes Rea singled to left to tie the game at 3-all.
Louisiana-Lafayette responded with three runs in the bottom of the third to regain the lead. After RBI singles by Caleb Adams and Chase Compton, Harrison sent a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Adams from third for a 6-3 advantage.
The Cajuns exploded for six runs on six hits in the bottom of the fourth for a 12-3 lead. A two-run double by Seth Harrison highlighted the scoring in the inning.
The Ragin’ Cajuns added its final two runs on RBI singles by Tyler Girouard in the fifth and Butler in the sixth.
ULL 11, Jackson State 1
Junior Jace Conrad had a career-best six RBIs as the top-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team defeated Jackson State 11-1 Sunday afternoon to advance to the Lafayette Regional championship game at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.
Conrad went 3-for-5 with a double, home run and scored a run as the Ragin’ Cajuns outhit the Tigers (32-25) 9-8. Ryan Leonards was 2-for-2 with three walks and scored four runs, and Dylan Butler was 2-for-4 and scored two runs.
Senior Matt Hicks threw five scoreless innings in relief and scattering four hits with four strikeouts.
Freshman Chris Charpentier went four innings in his first career start, holding Jackson State to one run on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks in a no decision. Charpentier’s early exit from the game was due to a weather delay that lasted more than three hours.
Christopher Wingard (2-2) was tabbed with the loss for Jackson State. He surrendered three runs on a hit and four walks in 1.1 innings of work.
Caleb Adams gave Louisiana-Lafayette a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly to left-center with the bases loaded, scoring Leonards from third.
Jackson State evened the contest in the bottom half of the third as Gary Thomas came in to score on a throwing error by catcher Michael Strentz, who was trying to throw out Tilur Smith at second.
In the top of the second, Conrad sent the first pitch he saw with the bases loaded well over the right field fence for a grand slam to increase the advantage to 5-1.
Two batters later Blake Trahan scored from second on an error by Smith at first base.
Louisiana-Lafayette tacked on two more runs in the top of the third on an RBI double to right by Leonards and a sacrifice fly to right by Trahan for an 8-1 lead.
The Ragin’ Cajuns added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Conrad singled to right with the bases loaded to plate two runs.
In the next at bat, Trahan sent a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Leonards from third and give the Cajuns an 11-1 edge.
ULL 9, San Diego State 2
The top-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team bounced back from a tough loss Friday to roll to 9-2 win against San Diego State in an elimination game Saturday at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field in the Lafayette Regional.
Junior Carson Baranik limited the Aztecs to two runs on six hits in 6.1 innings with a strikeout. Senior Matt Plitt was solid in relief, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings with a strikeout.
Center fielder Seth Harrison and shortstop Blake Trahan each had three hits. Harrison had a triple, walked, scored twice and drove in two runs.
Michael Strentz had a game-high three RBIs.
Tyler Girouard brought home the Cajuns’ first run on a two-out single up the middle, scoring Leonards from third.
Strentz extended the Ragin’ Cajuns advantage to 4-0 in the top of the second on a two-out, three-run blast to left field.
Later in the inning, Trahan singled through the left side of the infield to score Ryan Leonards from second.
The Aztecs (42-21) got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI triple to right-center by Brad Haynal to make the score 5-1.
Louisiana-Lafayette added a pair of runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI triple to left-center by Harrison and a squeeze bunt by Dylan Butler.
Greg Allen drove in San Diego’s second run in the bottom of the fifth, bringing home Ryan Muno on a ground ball hit to short to cut the Ragin’ Cajuns’ advantage to 7-2.
The Cajuns plated a couple of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Caleb Adams drove in the first run on a single through the left side to score Trahan.
Later, Harrison brought home another run on a bunt single for the eventual 9-2 final.
Jackson State 1, ULL 0
Despite a great start on the mound by junior Austin Robichaux, the top-ranked and No. 6 national seed Louisiana-Lafayette baseball team suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Jackson State in the Lafayette Regional opener Friday night at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.
The loss snapped the Cajuns’ nation-leading 10-game win streak and handed the squad its sixth loss at home this season.
Robichaux (7-3) was tabbed with the loss despite holding the Tigers to just one run on four hits in eight innings. The right-hander struck out six in the outing and did now allow a walk but did hit three batters.
Vincent Athonia earned the victory for Jackson State, throwing six scoreless innings and scattering five hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
Blake Trahan led the Ragin’ Cajuns offensively going 3-for-4 at the plate, while Caleb Adams was 1-for-1 with three walks.
Jackson State posted the only run of the game in the top of the fourth as Melvin Rodriguez singled up the middle to score Desmond Russell from second with two outs.
Alexander Juday earned his third save of the year, coming on in the seventh to throw three scoreless with two strikeouts to close out the game.