UL junior pitcher Austin Robichaux

 

The sixth-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajun baseball team won their 2014 Sun Belt Conference opener on Friday evening, defeating the ULM Warhawks, 4-1, in the opening game of a three-game, weekend, Sun Belt Conference series in Monroe.

ULM scored a run in the bottom half of the first inning, when outfielder Justin Stawychny delivered a clutch two-out triple, scoring third baseman Anthony Herrera, to make it 1-0.

Louisiana tied things in the top of the second, when Caleb Adams singled with one out, and later scored on a two-out single of the bat of first baseman Chase Compton, making it 1-1.

The Cajuns grabbed their first lead in the top of the third, when designated hitter Tyler Girouard brought home shortstop Blake Trahan and outfielder Seth Harrison with a one-out double, giving them a 3-1 advantage.

The score stayed that way until the top of the eighth inning, when Louisiana added an insurance run, thanks to a sacrifice-fly by Compton, scoring Adams, who had walked to lead-off the inning, extending the lead to 4-1.

That was more than enough, as the Cajuns went on to the three-run win, their fourth-consecutive victory, and their 15th win in their last 16 tries.

Blake and second baseman Jace Conrad each collected two hits apiece for Louisiana, while Girouard and Compton each drove in two runs.

Austin Robichaux (3-1) recorded the win, tossing a complete-game, four-hitter, while striking out ten, while Chris Hunt (1-1) suffered the loss for ULM.

With the win, the Cajuns improved to 15-2, overall, and 1-0 in Sun Belt Conference play, while the Warhawks fell to 7-12, and 0-1, respectively.

The second game of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 1 o'clock.

You can hear all the play-by-play action on News-Talk 96.5 KPEL-FM & kpel965.com, beginning with the pre-game at 12:30 pm.

 

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