The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team saw its chance to secure a series win slip away Thursday night as the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers pulled away late for a 6-0 victory at Russo Park in Lafayette.
Game 2 opened as a pitcher’s duel with both teams held scoreless through the first three innings. Louisiana starter Andrew Herrmann and Coastal Carolina’s Cameron Flukey kept hitters off balance early while limiting scoring opportunities.
The Chanticleers finally broke through in the fourth inning with an RBI double to take a 1-0 lead. Louisiana threatened to respond in the sixth after Maddox Mandino tripled down the right-field line, but the Cajuns were unable to bring him home.
Coastal added to its lead late with an RBI double in the seventh inning, a solo home run in the eighth, and three more runs in the ninth to put the game out of reach.
Louisiana managed only three hits and struck out 14 times in the shutout loss as Coastal’s pitching staff controlled the game from start to finish.
“Tonight is what you can’t do against them, and that’s gift guy stuff,” Louisiana head coach Matt Deggs said. “They function very well when you help them get started. Baseball tonight just wasn’t our night, and their pitching had a lot to do with it.”
Deggs added, “Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug. Tonight we were the bug, so hopefully tomorrow we’re the windshield.”
Louisiana will face Coastal Carolina again Friday at 2 p.m. with the series on the line.
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