LAFAYETTE - Louisiana Baseball took two games from Houston Baptist (1-8) on the Saturday afternoon, winning 5-2 in game one and 4-1 in game two at M.L. ‘Tigue’ Moore Field at Russo Park.
The Ragin’ Cajuns were guided by two great starts from Hayden (2-0) Durke and Spencer Arrighetti (2-0). Both pitchers tossed over six innings, had four total strikeouts and each earned a win.
Louisiana (9-3) used the big fly in game one to help push them past Houston Baptist, seeing solo home runs from Anthony Catalano, Ben Fitzgerald and Carson Roccaforte. Catalano’s home run was his first hit as a Ragin’ Cajun.
Houston Baptist pitcher Tyler Zarella (0-2) went five innings in the opening game, giving up four earned runs and eight hits.
Louisiana owned a 3-0 lead through four innings in the first contest until HBU picked up a pair in the fifth inning. One of the runs, a Chase Talbot single to right field, was charged to Durke, while the other run, an error on a pop fly, went unearned.
The Ragin’ Cajuns extended their one-run lead in the fifth inning to three, using bombs from Roccaforte and Fitzgerald.
Brandon Talley, the nation’s leader in appearances, picked up his third save of the season, posting 2.1 shutout innings of relief to give the Cajuns the 5-2 win.
In game two, the Ragin’ Cajuns added a run in the first inning from Fitzgerald via an RBI-double which scored Connor Kimple.
Kimple had a big game in the second contest, going 3-for-3 with a home run, walk and key assist from left field in the eighth inning that kept Louisiana ahead in the ball game.
Arrighetti (2-0) was dominant again, twirling 7.0 innings, surrendering just one run and fanning four batters.
HBU’s starting pitcher Jacob Coats was equally as effective, only allowing two runs in six innings pitched.
Up 2-1 in the top of the eighth inning, Louisiana added two more insurance runs on a Roccaforte base hit and a throwing error on the shortstop to make the game 4-1.
Jacob Schultz (S, 2) closed out the game for Louisiana, giving the Cajuns the 4-1 win and locking up Schultz's second save of the season.
The Ragin’ Cajuns will go for their second-straight weekend sweep on Sunday with first pitch at 1 p.m.
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