Wednesday, March 4
Cajuns Complete Season Sweep of Northwestern State
LAFAYETTE, La. – The Louisiana baseball team picked up its third straight victory as the Ragin' Cajuns completed the season sweep of Northwestern State on Wednesday night with an 8-2 victory at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.
The win is Louisiana's seventh against NSU (6-7) in the all-time series and the ninth straight at home.
The Cajuns (7-5) outhit the Demons 10-6 in the contest led by junior catcher Nick Thurman who went 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, scored twice and drove in one.
Sophomore Connor Toups went three innings in his first victory of the year allowing one run on three hits and struck out three while not permitting a free pass.
"This was a typical midweek game. You want to put pitchers out there who aren't going to walk people," head coach Tony Robichaux said. "Connor got us off to a good tempo. You want people to come in, do their jobs, be clean, be quick and get out. We put the pressure on them, and they made the critical error at the critical time of the game at third base and we broke them."
The Cajuns bullpen combined to hold NSU scoreless in five of the last six frames allowing only two walks while striking out six.
Senior Dylan Butler had a game-high three RBI in the game for the Ragin' Cajuns, while Trahan was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, and scored twice.
Reliever Jordan Shaffer took the loss for the Demons to fall to 0-1 on the year after giving up one run in one inning of work.
Northwestern State took an early lead in the top of the second when C.J. Webster delivered an RBI single into right center to score Chase Daughdrill who tripled to lead off the inning.
Louisiana answered in the bottom half of the inning as Butler scored Thurman on a sac fly to deep center field to tie the game at 1-all. Thurman doubled to open the inning and moved up to third on a sac bunt by Joe Robbins.
The Ragin' Cajuns grabbed the lead in the bottom of the third on sac fly to center by Trahan scoring Jam Williams to make the score 2-1. Williams led off the inning with an infield single and then stole both second and third to get into scoring position for Trahan.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Cajuns exploded for five runs on four hits and a NSU error to take a commanding 7-1 advantage. A Butler two-run double highlighted the scoring in the inning.
Greg Davis added the final run for the Ragin' Cajuns in the bottom of the sixth on a RBI single through the left side of the infield.
Cort Brinson tacked on a run for the Demons in the top of the ninth singling in Caleb Dugas from second to make the final 8-2.
Louisiana is set to open Sun Belt Conference play this weekend as the Cajuns host Troy in a three-game series at the "Tigue" starting on Friday at 6 p.m. Game two of the series is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, while the series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday.
Following the series with the Trojans, the Cajuns will close out their five-game homestand on Tuesday at 6 p.m. as they face in-state foe New Orleans.
NC State Edges Mountaineers, 6-4
RALEIGH, N.C. — Appalachian State University baseball traveled to Doak Field to take on the NC State Wolfpack on Wednesday night. The Mountaineers fell 6-4 to NC State after an eighth inning rally plated the go-ahead run.
NC State (7-3) started fast, scoring two runs in the first inning. Preston Palmeiro reached on a fielder’s choice that scored the runner on third. Palmeiro was driven in two batters latter to make 2-0 Wolfpack lead.
Appalachian would settle in after a scoreless second inning, and got on the scoreboard in the third when Michael Pierson’s Sacrifice fly brought Carson Jones across home plate. One Inning later Grayson Atwood hit a towering home run to left center field to even the score at two apiece.
Matt Brill pitched two solid innings, giving up no runs and one hit before making way for Luke Watts in the fourth. Watts struck out two batters in his one inning of work.
In the fifth inning, Pierson hit a single through the left side of the infield allowing Brandon Burris to reach third. With the hit, Pierson has now reached base in 41 straight games, the longest streak in the country.
NC State’s Evan Brabrand entered the game and threw three wild pitches that brought both Burris and Pierson home to give Appalachian a two run lead.
The Wolfpack would fight to even the score in the seventh inning. Down 4-3 with the bases loaded, Palmeiro singled to center field and tied the ballgame. Appalachian got out of the inning when Andrew Knizner grounded into a double play.
In the eighth, Jake Armstrong’s RBI double drove the winning running in. Appalachian wasn’t able to get anything going in the ninth and saw Pierson to ground out third base to end the game.
The Mountaineers will be back in action this weekend in Statesboro, Ga. for a three game Sun Belt series versus Georgia Southern.
Panthers Rally Comes Up Short Against Bulldogs
Athens, Ga. -- Georgia State had the tying run at the plate with two outs in the ninth inning, but Georgia right fielder Skyler Weber made a diving catch on Sam Few's line drive to end the game as the Panthers fell 4-2 Wednesday at Georgia's Foley Field.
Few, hit a solo home run, his first of the season to put the Panthers (7-5) on the board in the seventh inning.
The Panthers entered the ninth inning down 4-1 when Matt Rose drew a one-out walk. With two outs, freshman Will Johnson ripped a triple inside the bag at third base and into the left field corner, scoring Rose and cutting the deficit to 4-2. Georgia (8-4) brought in closer Jared Cheek to face Few, and the junior designated hitter laced a line drive into right field, but Weber made the diving stab.
"Losing is certainly disappointing, but there were so many good things tonight and I'm proud of my team," said head coach Greg Frady, whose Panthers had defeated Georgia the last two years.
"This is a very gritty bunch. They will fight to the end, and this game was not over until the last out was made. It is very disappointing to lose, but I'm very happy to know that I'm working with a really competitive group that will fight to end."
GSU starter Marc-Andre Habeck (2-1) limited the Bulldogs to one run on five hits through the first five innings, but Zack Bowers led off the sixth with a solo homer to extend Georgia's lead to 2-0. Habeck then surrendured a one-out walk and was relieved by Jerry Stuckey. The Bulldogs perfectly executed a hit-and-run play as Mike Bell scored from first base on a long single to right center by Brandon Stephens for a 3-0 lead. Georgia added a fourth run on an RBI-single by Stephen Wrenn.
Relievers Will White and Clayton Payne combined to record seven straight outs to keep the Panthers close. White, the freshman lefty from Walton High School, had two strikeouts in the seventh inning.
"We gave up three runs in the middle, but I'm very proud of our pitching. Marc did a good job, and Will White came in and did a great job, and so did Clayton Payne," Frady said.
Georgia State had opportunities to score in the first few innings but the Panthers hit into inning-ending double plays in the second and third innings, and Wrenn made a great catch in right center to end a the fifth inning.
Georgia starter Jared Walsh (1-0) pitched 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing five hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Cheek earned his third save.