Baseball

Top-Seeded Cajuns Score Four in Eighth to Defeat No. 8 UL Monroe

MOBILE, Ala. - Top-seeded UL Lafayette scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to break a 3-3 tie and defeat eighth-seeded UL Monroe 7-3 on Wednesday at Stanky Field.

The Ragin' Cajuns scored the four runs on two hits in the inning, aided by two walks and a wild pitch. Tyler Girouard singled to begin the innning followed by back-to-back walks to Jace Conrad and Caleb Adams, loading the bases for the Cajuns. Chase Compton flied out to centerfield scoring Girouard from third on the sacrifice fly.

Michael Strentz then singled up the middle scoring Conrad and moving Adams to third. Strentz stole second and advanced to third on a ULM wild pitch scoring Adams. The Cajuns then put on a squeeze with Kyle Clement at the plate scoring Strentz.

With the win the Ragin' Cajuns (50-7) will face No. 4 Texas State at 4:00 p.m. CT. The Warhawks (22-35) will face No. 5 WKU in an elimination game at 9:00 a.m. CT on Wednesday.

The Warhawks jumped out of the gate on the Cajuns and took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a Kodie Tidwell walk and a Keelin Rasch single. A Ross Moore single scored both Rasch and Tidwell.

The two runs were all the Warhawks would get from UL-L starter, Austin Robichaux, who pitched seven strong innings with seven strikeouts and five hits.

After keeping UL-L (50-7) off of the scoreboard the first two innings, the Cajuns broke through in the bottom of the third. A Clement single and a Blake Trahan double gave UL-L two runners in scoring position with no outs. Ryan Leonards was able to drive in a run with a sacrifice fly to center field.

The Warhawks were able to limit the damage thanks to a strikeout and groundout in the third inning, ending the Cajun threat.

The Ragin' Cajuns took its first lead of the game in the home half of the sixth. Jace Conrad led off the inning with a walk and was able to move to third thanks to a stolen base and a throwing error. After a strikeout and an intentional walk, Michael Strentz delivered a sacrifice fly to center that allowed Conrad to score (unearned) and give UL-L a 3-2 lead after six complete.

ULM reliever Alex Dumaine (3-6) took the loss after failing to record an out while allowing three runs on one hit and two walks. Cajuns reliever Matt Plitt (2-0) earned the win after recording the final four outs of Wednesday’s contest.