LAFAYETTE, La. -- The No. 6 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns erupted four runs in the seventh inning, extending its lead after the Bearkats had cut it to just one, eventually defeating Sam Houston 6-2 in front of 4,646 fans at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Kats (0-2) will look to salvage a game in the Sunday series finale. Right-handed pitcher Cody Brown will make his Sam Houston debut after a strong season at Tyler Junior College. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. and will be available on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
“I thought we competed well all day,” second-year head coach Matt Deggs said. “They've got some really good arms over there. We were in the ball game. The job (Heath) Donica did to let us get back in that game was much needed. I thought the freshmen that got at-bats in the ninth did a great job. The line between winning and losing is razor thin.”
Louisiana (2-0) started things with a bang as Joe Robbins led off the first inning with a home run over the left field wall. The hit was one of six for the Ragin' Cajuns off Sam Houston starter Hayden Nixon (0-1), who lasted 1 2-3 innings but permitted just the one run.
In the fourth, the Cajuns again used the long ball to lengthen its lead, doing so on a one-out Steven Sensley shot off Donica over the right-field wall to ups their lead to 2-0. Donica, who allowed four hits and three earned runs, provided Sam Houston some much needed relief in 4 1-3 innings of work.
The Kats responded in the seventh beginning with a single from Zach Smith, effectively chasing UL starter Wyatt Marks who tossed 6 1-3 innings, striking out eight and allowing three hits. Spence Rahm drove Smith home on a triple off the right-field wall, making it 2-1, Cajuns.
However, in the bottom half, the deciding damage came for UL, who hit around and four times loaded the bases. With the bases juiced, Brenn Conrad was hit by the first and only pitch from Dane Lovejoy. A passed ball from Rahm, the Kats fourth pitcher, scored Ishmael Edwards and two hitters later, Kyle Clement singled home two runs, upping the lead to 6-1.
“You have to stay away from the three-run inning and our inability to take outs on bunts led to that,” Deggs said. “Before you can blink against a good hitting ball club it's a four-run inning. You just can't do that against a top 10 team and expect to win. If we field a couple bunts there, we tie the game in the top of the ninth.”
The Bearkats refused to quit in the ninth as Andrew Fregia knocked a one-out single to the left side. Josh Biles came on to pinch it and made the most of his chance, rocking a double off the left-center wall, moving Fregia to third. The freshman came around to score one batter later when Hunter Hearn, also in a pinch hitting role, flew out to deep center.
“I can see things they can't,” Deggs said. “My job is to not only stay in the here and now but to also see the big picture. We have a chance to be good. I think we proved that this weekend in being able to have two games we are right in there to win in the seventh, eighth and ninth.”
In the loss, Sam Houston's Bryce Johnson extended his hitting streak to 15 games, doing so on a 2-2 count with two outs in the first inning. On the mound, freshman Colin Cameron made his first appearance, striking out two hitters in one inning of work. Leadoff hitter and junior transfer Taylor Beene recorded his first hit with the Kats on a roper to left in the third. Reliable backstop Robie Rojas also threw out a pair of Cajun runners, upping his total to three in two games.
