SAN MARCOS, Texas – Designated hitter Wesley Faison went 4-for-4 with a pair of homers and four RBI and No. 15-ranked Texas State held off the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball team, 7-5, in the opening game of a three-game Sun Belt Conference series on Friday at Bobcat Ballpark.
The series will resume on Saturday at 4 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with fans able to listen to the game in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5), the Varsity Network and the #GeauxCajuns app.
League leader Texas State (39-11, 21-4 SBC) built a 5-0 lead after five innings behind a three-run homer from Faison in the first inning, a solo blast by Faison in the fifth and an RBI single by Cameron Gibbons.
Louisiana (30-18, 17-8 SBC), which had its five-game winning streak snapped, was held in check by Texas State starter Zeke Wood (6-1) through five innings before erupting for four runs in the sixth.
Connor Kimple led off the inning with a single to left before Heath Hood drew a one-out walk. Carson Roccaforte then laced a two-run double down the right-field line to put the Ragin’ Cajuns on the board before Julian Brock followed with a two-run home run to cut the lead to 5-4.
Dalton Shuffield, who went 3-for-5 and scored three runs, responded for the Bobcats in the bottom of the sixth as he hit the first of two home runs on the night – a solo shot to right for a 6-4 lead – before adding an insurance run in the eighth with a solo home run for a 7-5 lead.
Roccaforte went 3-for-4 with a solo home run for Louisiana with Tyler Robertson and Conor Higgs each collecting hits for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Brandon Talley (3-3) took the loss for Louisiana as he scattered seven hits and fanned five in 4.2 innings of work. Wood pitched 5.2 innings for the Bobcats before Triston Dixon scattered three hits in 2.1 innings with Tristan Stivors pitching a scoreless ninth for his 13th save.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here [apps.apple.com] for iOS/Apple platforms and here [play.google.com] for Android platforms.
For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.
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