CONWAY, S.C. (Press Release) – With the game tied heading to the bottom of the sixth inning, senior Hunter Kasuls stepped up in a big spot and delivered a go-ahead, two-run double down the right-field line to clinch Louisiana Baseball’s 6-2 victory over Appalachian State in the First Round of the Sun Belt Tournament on Tuesday night.
Kasuls has been an extra-base hit machine as of late, producing at least one in each of his last four games. He also tacked on three RBI against the Mountaineers, his team-leading 23rd multi-RBI game of the season.
Hayden Cantrelle and Brennan Breaux combined for the only other Ragin’ Cajun hits on the evening, each producing two.
Sophomore Austin Perrin earned the win, throwing 3.0 innings of no-hit, one-run ball and striking out two. He was relieved by Gunner Leger, who earned his fourth save of the season by striking out three of the four batters he faced.
Louisiana did not record its first hit of the game until the fourth inning, but found itself ahead 2-0 after scoring a run in the first on a throwing error and one in the second frame on a sacrifice fly.
The Mountaineers struck back in the fifth, plating two on a passed ball and a single to right field to knot the game up at two runs apiece.
Needing a big play, the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Week delivered as Kasuls snuck a two-run double just inside the right-field line to score Kole McKinnon and Breaux and push the Ragin’ Cajuns back in front, 4-2.
Louisiana added some quality insurance in the bottom of the eighth frame when Cantrelle and Kasuls each ripped back-to-back, RBI doubles to extend the lead to 6-2 with just three outs to get. Leger closed out the game in style, fanning the final two batters in the top of the ninth inning to preserve the victory.
