JONESBORO, Ark. – Brandon Talley and four relievers combined on a four-hit shutout while the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns posted its first road shutout in a Sun Belt Conference game in nearly three years after blanking Arkansas State, 10-0, in the opening game of a three-game series on Friday at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field.
Kyle DeBarge, Carson Roccaforte, Connor Kimple and Heath Hood each had a pair of hits as Louisiana (16-14, 5-5 SBC) recorded 12 hits overall and posted its first road shutout in an SBC contest since a 10-0 win at Coastal Carolina on May 3, 2019.
Talley (1-1) earned his first career win in a starting role after holding Arkansas State (5-22, 0-10 SBC) to a pair of hits in five innings.
Aided with a 2-0 lead on a pair of squeeze bunts in the top of the second, the southpaw gave up both hits after Brandon Hager and Jaylon Deshazier led off the second inning with singles. Talley was aided after Cooper Tremmel lined out to second baseman Warnner Rincones for a double play before getting Cason Tollett to ground into a fielder’s choice.
Louisiana plated two more runs off A-State starter Justin Medlin (0-4) in the third inning to increase its lead to 4-0. Medlin, who allowed nine hits and seven earned runs in five innings, picked up two quick outs after getting Max Marusak to pop up and Tyler Robertson to ground out.
Medlin then issued a walk to Kyle DeBarge before Roccaforte and Kimple hit back-to-back doubles to plate a pair of runs.
Marusak led off the fifth when he reached on an error and moved to second. After moving to third on Robertson’s sacrifice bunt, Marusak would score as DeBarge placed a well-executed bunt up the first-base line for an RBI.
Louisiana increased its lead to 8-0 in the sixth as Hood and Rincones led off the inning with base hits before Julian Brock doubled down the left-field line to drive in Hood. Rincones would score on Marusak’s sacrifice fly to left before Brock would score on a wild pitch.
The Ragin’ Cajuns kept up their offense in the eighth as DeBarge hit a two-out double to left, pinch-hitter Mason Zambo drew a walk and Jonathan Brandon lifted a two-run single to left off Red Wolves’ reliever Phillip Bryant.
Tyler Robertson added a sixth-inning single for Louisiana to extend his career-best hitting streak to nine games. Dylan Theut and Jake Hammond each tossed a scoreless inning in relief for the Ragin’ Cajuns with Austin Perrin striking out two in 1.2 innings of work and Peyton Havard getting the final out on a grounder.
Brandon Hager led Arkansas State at the plate going 2-for-3. Jacob Hager added a pinch-hit single for the Red Wolves while Max Charlton and Brandon Hudson combined to toss three scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts.
The series will resume on Saturday in a 6 p.m. contest. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and can be heard in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and the #GeauxCajuns app.
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