LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball team scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on the benefit of one hit and claimed a 9-5 victory in the completion of Friday’s suspended game before Houston scored six runs in the middle innings of an 8-4 victory on Saturday at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park.
The final game of the three-game series is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday. The game will be available on ESPN+ and can be heard in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and at RaginCajuns.com.
LOUISIANA 9, HOUSTON 5 (Completion of Friday’s suspended game)
Heath Hood hit a pair of home runs as Louisiana (7-6) belted a season-high four homers on the day to rally to defeat Houston (9-5). Will Veillon led off the first inning with a 411-foot blast – the first of his career for the Ragin’ Cajuns – while Carson Roccaforte belted his third home run of the season to tie the game at 5-5 in the sixth.
Bo Bonds (2-1), who replaced Brandon Talley to start the resumed game, pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win for Louisiana. Jackson Dannelley (0-1) took the loss for UH after allowing three runs – two earned – in 0.1 innings of work.
The Ragin’ Cajuns began the eighth with Kyle DeBarge leading off with a single up the middle before advancing to second on a wild pitch. DeBarge advanced to third on a passed ball and after the ball got away from UH catcher Anthony Tulimero, the freshman would score the go-ahead run as he slid in under the tag at the plate.
Tyler Robertson and Roccaforte each reached on walks before moving into scoring position on a second passed ball in the inning. Louisiana loaded the bases after Connor Kimple was intentionally walked before Jonathan Brandon’s sacrifice squeeze bunt would score a pair of runs to give Louisiana an 8-5 lead.
Kimple, who had moved to third on Brandon’s at-bat, would give Louisiana a 9-5 advantage when he stole home and slid in under the tag of Tulimero.
DeBarge, Robertson and Hood each recorded two hits to lead Louisiana. Hood gave the Ragin’ Cajuns a 3-1 lead in the first inning with a two-run home run to center-field – his first in a Louisiana uniform – before hitting a solo shot to right field in the fourth to cut the Houston lead to 5-4.
Talley, who relieved starter Tommy Ray in the third inning, pitched a career-best 5.0 innings of scoreless relief while scattering a pair of hits and striking out five.
HOUSTON 8, LOUISIANA 4
Louisiana (7-7) scored twice in the second inning off Houston starter Nathan Medrano (2-0) to take a 2-1 lead as Jonathan Brandon drove in Kimple with a two-out triple to left before scoring on Julian Brock’s double to left-center.
Houston (10-5) tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth on Alex Lopez’s solo home run to right before the Ragin’ Cajuns would reclaim the lead at 3-2 on Warnner Rincones’ sacrifice fly to center.
The Cougars would take the lead for good with four runs in the fifth inning as they sent 10 men to the plate. Samuel Tormos led off the inning when he reached on an infield single before Ian McMillan was hit by a pitch and Brandon Burckels reached on a bunt up the third-base line.
Brandon Uhse tied the game at 3-3 when he singled through the left side off Louisiana reliever Drew Shifflet (1-1) before Zach Arnold’s blooper over second scored McMillan to give the Cougars a 4-3 lead.
A bases-loaded walk and infield single would give Houston a 6-3 lead before Louisiana cut the deficit to 6-4 in the bottom half of the frame on Kimple’s RBI single up the middle.
Uhse drove in a second run for Houston in the sixth when he reached on an infield single to first and Arnold would add a run in the ninth when he reached on an error and scored on Ryan Hernandez’s sacrifice fly to center.
Medrano scattered seven hits and allowed four runs in 5.2 innings for the Cougars with Ben Sears pitching the final 3.1 innings to earn his third save. Robertson, Roccaforte and Kimple each had two hits to lead Louisiana, which allowed a pair of unearned runs and stranded nine base runners.
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